Of Murder and Magic
by Dark Fairy of Chaos
Summary: Gakuen Hetalia AU. When a student is found murdered, and Arthur is named the next victim. Arthur takes it upon himself to solve the mystery. But will it take his life to solve it? USxUK
1. Ch 1 Of Inspections and Smells

Title: Of Murder and Magic

Author: me

Rating: PG-16?

Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Romance

Characters/Pairings: England, Seychelles, America, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and others. US/UK, one sided France/Seychelles, one-sided France/UK, Spain/Romano and Germany/Italy if you squint.

Summary: Gakuen Hetalia AU. When a student is found murdered, and Arthur is named the next victim. Arthur takes it upon himself to solve the mystery. But will it take his life to solve it?

Warnings: AU, violence, boy love, human names, swearing

A/N: I was inspired by this MAD I saw on youtube of a Hetalia version of the Spiral opening and ending theme and thought, "Hey! This might make a good idea for a fanficition!" Although the MAD video was the inspiration for it, the plot for this story will not follow the Spiral storyline. There will be a few parallels between the two but not much so don't expect a Spiral fic.

Since this is an AU, I decided to use human names so beware of that.

Since Seychelles has no human name as of yet, I decided to go with Angelique Sechelles since Angelique is a popular female name in Seychelles (at least according to the website that I found) and her surname as Sechelles since Seychelles, the islands/nation, were/was named in honour of Jean Moreau de Séchelles*. She will be referred to as Sechelles so that it makes it easier for everyone.

*the minister of Finance of France during the reign of King Louis XV, when the French occupied the islands in about 1750.

I'm finally done blabbing. Enjoy the story now.

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Ch1 Of Inspections and Smells

That day had started much like any other school day. Students, both reluctant and eager, headed to Hetalia Academy, simply known as the Academy to most students and residents of Little Flats, the town neighboring the Academy. The Academy was the focus of Little Flats and most of the business it had was with the school and its students.

The residents awakened as well, to start to open their business or to head to work outside of Little Flats. Some waving to students as they headed on their way to school while others scorned the hustle and bustle that the students caused, more bad than good.

Angelique Sechelles, known as Sechelles to her friends, a student of the Academy, raced towards the institution, already tardy for her daily meetings with her boss. These daily morning appointments usually consisted of Sechelles receiving her daily assignment from her boss, the student council president. Her assignments had always ranged from day to day and had sometimes left her working late into the night. Such days, she would be escorted to her dormitory by the student council president, he insisting that it was not fit for a lady such as herself to be out at night alone.

This particular day was more important than the rest. Normally, Sechelles would not bother to show up on time to her daily appointments simply because she dislike- no, _hated_ her boss. He was everything that she disliked in men; arrogant, cocky, self-centered, pompous, narcissistic, strict and demanding. Sechelles was well-behaved most of the time and she could get along with just about anyone. But she could not stand people like the student council president. She did everything in her power to make him miserable. Most of these efforts, however, had been in vain. The student council president was a determined individual, one who could not be deterred or discouraged easily. Most of Sechelles's efforts to annoy or irritate would only affect him for a short period of time, the rest of her efforts usually went unnoticed. The overall failure on her part to make the student council president miserable did not discourage or stop her efforts. She continued everyday regardless of the results of her previous attempts.

Yes, this particular day was different and more important than the others before it. For it was this day, much like the same day the year before, that was the start of the student council president's annual inspections. Now the student council president, being the person that he was, took these inspections very seriously and was far more irritable than usual if something did not go according to schedule.

Sechelles was already five minutes late for her daily appointment. At this point she stopped running. She was already tardy, what would a few more minutes do? She tidied herself up as best she could. The student council president took students' personal appearance to heart and expected everyone to be as tidy, orderly and neat as he was. Even the slightest wrinkle or single undone button would not escape his eye and would have him go on his usual tirade of the lack of respect students held to their uniform that would go on for what seemed like forever. Most students would rather take a few more minutes tidying themselves up than suffer one of the student council president's tirades.

Once Sechelles had arrived at the Academy's gates and presented her school issued ID to security, she briskly, yet not too brisk, walked to the student council headquarters. The student council headquarters, otherwise known as the president's castle of torture, was located in the bungalow nearest the gate, making it one of the first buildings students saw before heading to their respective classes.

Sechelles opened the door and stepped inside. Inside, already waiting for her was the student council president engaged in some paperwork. Sechelles closed the door as silently as she could. The student council president looked up from his work and frowned.

"Really, Angelique, how many times must I tell you to keep yourself presentable? Students look up to their fellow peers in the student council. Your rather ghastly appearance and tardiness make a bad example to the rest of the students. You really must shape up," he reprimanded, all the while going back to his paperwork and motioning her to take a seat.

Sechelles, under normal circumstances, would have objected and given him a piece of her mind but seeing as these were not normal circumstances nor was that day just _any_ day, she held her tongue.

Sechelles waited for him to attend to her….and waited…and then waited some more. After losing whatever composure she had, she finally spoke up.

"Ahem"

The president looked up and frowned at her, slightly irked at being interrupted. He pointed to the wall behind her and returned to work. Sechelles looked back and saw a clipboard with a pen attached and numerous copies of the same form.

"And what am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, all politeness gone from her voice.

"Today, if you ever bothered to remember anything of even the slightest importance, is the day I start inspections. I have arranged for the presidents of all clubs to be at their respective club locations. You will ask them questions regarding their finances, how many members they have, what their activities consist of and how many have occurred so far and so on. You will fill out the form for each club and will then report to me when you have finished. Remember to ask them about what they are planning to do for the festival. That is of utmost importance. Any questions?" he said, not once looking up from his work.

Sechelles felt her temper rising. She hated working for the president. Hated being bossed around by him. Hated listening to him. Hated how little attention he paid anyone unless they had irritated him someway. Hated how haughty he was. Hated everything. And every time he spoke, he would infuriate her more. But she knew how important this particular day was and decided that it would be much better to hold her tongue and withstand insults than argue with him for who knows how long.

"And when do you want me to finish these?" she asked, her voice strained.

"Tomorrow, if possible. The festival is coming up soon and I would be glad to know which clubs should be prohibited from participating in the festival."

The festival was a yearly event in which clubs held games and sold food and drinks. Inspections were held for the sole purpose of preventing clubs that have broken rules or had inappropriate ideas for their booths for the festival. There had been an incident in the past in which a club had been handing out _inappropriate _materials to students. Parents complained and the Academy had since held inspections to prevent such an incident from occurring again. Normally, it was the president's job to hold inspections but earlier in the year, the president had taken on too many projects and had collapsed in the middle of a hallway from sheer exhaustion. The principal found out and forced him to take an assistant. That was when Sechelles, rather unwillingly, had become an unofficial part of the student council. The president was so adamant about her being his assistant that Sechelles felt no choice but to accept. She still had no idea about why the president had wanted _her_ of all people to be his assistant. It was an issue that continued to bother her very much.

She sighed, knowing that no matter what she said she could never make the president understand how little time he had given her. She grabbed the clipboard from the wall and was about to walk out when she heard the president speak.

"There is one club that I want you to inspect first. They have proved to be rather troublesome in the past and would feel more at peace if their inspection was done and over with."

"And which club is that?" she asked, her voice conveying her curiosity instead of her usual defiance.

"You'll soon find out. And whatever you do, do _NOT_ blotch this up for me."

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Ludwig had spent the morning setting up a model of what their booth would look like for the festival. He had even made an extra model, in case Feliciano got any funny ideas. The man was a complete mystery to Ludwig. He never knew what he would do next. But his enthusiasm and overall sunny attitude usually made up for whatever he did.

Ludwig had strictly told Feliciano that the inspections were only for the club presidents and that there would be no need for him to be there. He hoped the message got through. Although sometimes Ludwig would feel as if Feliciano didn't understand what he was trying to say. Not that he would mind if Feliciano was there. It was just that they had already made the student council president's black list. He wanted their inspection to go as smooth as possible. And with Feliciano there, it wasn't completely guaranteed. Feliciano had made his life more complicated and more _interesting_ ever since the day they first met.

If he was honest with himself, Ludwig had actually not particularly cared whether they were prohibited from setting up a booth in the festival_._ It was just that Feliciano had liked those sorts of things. And Ludwig felt that it would make Feliciano heartbroken for not being able to set up a booth of their own. So Ludwig took upon himself to make sure that everything in their booth would be presentable, their finances in check and no other outrageous activities had taken place. He just hoped that the president could overlook that _one_ episode and give them a second chance. He knew it was improbable that the president could ever overlook such a thing, let alone allow such a thing to go unpunished. Still Ludwig allowed himself to hope, despite the odds. It was something he had learned to do ever since Feliciano entered his life.

Glancing at his watch for the tenth time in the last five minutes, Ludwig began to get nervous. It was already 15 minutes after the time Ludwig and the president had agreed to meet. What if he decided not to show? What if he had already come to the conclusion that they did not need to be inspected because he had already decided that they were unsuited to present themselves in the festival? What if he was just making him wait and watching him squirm from afar? What if he deliberately decided not to show up? The possibilities were endless and the more Ludwig thought about, the more nervous he became.

He took one deep breath and sighed. The president had seemed to be in a good mood when they had arranged the inspection. He seemed willing to understand for once and looked as if he considered overlooking the unfortunate incident. Ludwig had to keep repeating that in his mind like mantra in order to calm down.

Ludwig was an orderly person who respected the rules and kept to a schedule and the president was the same. There should have been no reason why he would be late.

The sounds of rapid footsteps broke Ludwig out of his thoughts. The door was almost slammed open and in the doorway stood Angelique Sechelles, disheveled and panting.

"Are you alright?" Ludwig asked stoically.

"Oh yes, I was just running a little late. So, are you ready for your inspection?" Sechelles asked smiling.

Ludwig looked at her, baffled. She was conducting the inspections?

"Are you the one conducting the inspections?"

"Yes, I am. You haven't heard?" She looked almost skeptical as if why she was there was already known to all.

"Heard what?"

"The president collapsed in the hallway two months ago. Everyone saw it. Principal Rome made him take an assistant because he was worried about his health," she said dramatically.

"And now here I am, slaving away for our dear student council president and holding inspections," she added cheerfully. Although she had been cheery while she said it, Ludwig couldn't help but feel as if she didn't mean a word she just said. Almost as if she was resentful. And he couldn't blame her. Not many people liked the student council president.

The fact that Sechelles, _not_ the president, was holding the inspection made him think that the possibility of being able to run a booth in the festival was much higher now. He smiled.

Sechelles dusted herself off and attempted to make her hair as presentable as possible. She liked to fixed herself up and look pretty every now and then. But lately, with all the errands she was running for the president, she just did not have as much time as before. She sighed. She had to sacrifice a lot in order to become the president's assistant.

She looked up and saw Ludwig giving her a strange look. He almost looked as if he was trying to smile. She shook her head. Smiling wasn't that painful.

"Yeah, so I'll be the one making your inspection. Forgive me if I stumble a bit. I haven't really done anything like this before," she said, looking down at her feet.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," he assured her with a solemn look.

"Thank you for saying so. Um for my first question: do you have an idea about what you were going to do for the festival?"

"Yes, I have a model set up. If you'll follow me." He led her to a large desk. Perched on top of said desk was a miniature booth. Complete with miniature people. Three of them to be exact, a blonde and two brunettes.

"This is too adorable," she said and she picked up the blonde figurine.

Ludwig opened his mouth to say something but decided against it, seeing Sechelles's look of admiration.

"I don't think we've ever been introduced properly. My name is Angelique Sechelles. But I prefer Sechelles," she said while extending her right hand and holding the blond figurine in her left.

Ludwig was about to introduce himself when he heard screams coming from outside the classroom. He frowned and was headed towards the door when a head peeked in. Red eyes looked in and spotted their target.

"Oi, West, you better come see this. This is almost as awesome as the time I mixed some chemicals in chemistry class and the beaker fuzzed and oozed and then there was these lights and everyone was basked in my awesomeness. And I could swear Roderich was just about to bow in awe of my five me-"

"Gilbert, what's happening? Did you cause this?" Ludwig frowned, concerned that this might another one of his brother's antics.

"I swear I had nothing to do this. Come see."

Gilbert gave Ludwig a what-are-you-waiting-for look and headed outside. Ludwig turned to look for Sechelles only to jump when he suddenly saw her standing right beside him.

"This doesn't sound good," she murmured, frowning.

"If you could wait here?"

"HECK NO! I'm coming, too! The president will kill me if I don't report this to him! I also want to see what's going. Sounds exciting."

Ludwig sighed. He followed his brother with Sechelles at his heels.

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The president was concentrating on his work when he heard screams and several footsteps outside "his office." He scowled and tried to continue his work. The screams and footsteps increased by the minute up to the point that the president could no longer concentrate. He would usually go out to find the source of noise and put a stop to it but he was already behind in some paperwork. Whatever it was, someone else could take care of it. He honestly wasn't expected to handle every single crisis in the school. He was only a student after all. If it was a serious matter, Principal Rome would handle, if incompetently, but he would handle it nonetheless.

"What in bloody hell is that racket?" he murmured to himself as he went through his cabinets to look for some ear muffs. He found a pair and placed them on his head, nice and secure. He hoped that it would be enough to drown out the noise. If not, he had some ear plugs stashed somewhere, a combination of the two will surely suffice.

He went back to focus on his work when there was a knock at the door. The president, with his earmuffs on, couldn't hear it and continued working.

Sechelles sighed. She figured that he found his earmuffs and had them on. She opened the door.

She, almost hesitantly, removed the earmuffs from the president's head.

"What the-"

"I'm sorry, sir. There's something you have to see," she said with a serious look on her face. The president could see that she was quite serious and the matter at hand was of utmost important. She knew better than to interrupt him for something that wasn't of the utmost importance.

The president sighed and stood up.

"This better be important, Angelique. I am behind my work as it. I would be _very_ upset with you if it wasn't anything important," he told her.

"It is, trust me, sir. It is," she said with a look that said that it indeed was.

Sechelles led the president outside. Outside a group of students that was slowing becoming a small mob. The president was horrified. So many students at one place, he had never seen so many at once except when school let out.

What he couldn't see was the reason they were all clustered like that, like ants covering the remains of a crushed beetle. It must have been a fight of some sort. They usually only clustered like that when there was some unfortunate accident or when someone was getting beat to a bloody pulp. The president could never understand people's fascination with tragedy and violence. A bunch of barbarians, the whole lot.

Sechelles continued on, shoving and pushing her way in, the president following closely behind. She was pretty strong for a girl.

She led him to the edifice of the A-building, the building with all the counselors' and teachers' offices. No students were allowed in during school hours unless they had to see a counselor or if they were a member of the student council. All important decisions concerning the school were held there. And no student ever paid much attention to it before, excluding the president, it was his third home.

They had finally made it to the front of the crowd and the president could see nothing of interest. No students having it out, no pool of blood, no injured persons, no celebrity waving, no delinquent selling narcotics, no drunken hobo passed out on the floor. No nothing. There was nothing there.

Every eye of every student at the scene turned to the president once they had heard Seychelles's 'excuse me's and 'move it' s. The president's temper rose. Why was everyone staring at him like that? He was about to start shouting and screaming for everyone to head to class when he felt Sechelles tug lightly on his jacket. He turned to her as she pointed to up the wall. He frowned before he looked up and then gasped.

About twenty-five feet above ground level was the body of a student, a male judging by the uniform coat and trousers, pinned to the wall by five large spikes. Two spikes pinned his hands, two pinned his feet and one was in his heart. Blood spilling down from the wounds, cascading down the wall. The student's head hung down as if he were just sleeping, his dark hair covering the left side of his face. The right side was that was not obscured by hair revealed a wide open unblinking gray eye. Blood dripped out of the open mouth and down his throat. His uniform was drenched in blood and left it in shoddy mess.

What horrified the president the most was not the student himself but the writing on the wall next to him. It was red, either written by using the student's blood as ink or by some red graffiti. The words meant to be clear as day had become sloppy and blurred as if rainwater had washed it while it was still fresh. Their message, however, was clear.

Dear sir,

It has come to my attention that this student has misbehaved.

Consider this a gift, one of many to come.

I do hope that you enjoy it properly.

Enjoy the time you have left

For you are next,

ARTHUR.

The president gaped at the scene before him and wondered how this had come to be done, all the while everyone continued to stare at him.

Yes, the president had indeed been right. That day was no ordinary day.

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Forgive me for the terrible formatting. This is my first time posting something on so I don't really know what I'm doing.

So……what do you guys think?

I'm looking for a beta, so if anyone is interested. Please let me know.

Chapter 2 should be up by Saturday.


	2. Ch 2 Of Acquaintances and Decisions

Ch 2 Of Acquaintances and Decisions

The first thought that entered the president's head was that there was so much blood. _Far_ too much blood. A part of the president, the sympathetic part of him, felt slightly guilty for thinking about whether the blood was going to stain the wall. He was after all, first and foremost, the president of the student council, and he felt that it was his responsibility to care about the appearance and reputation of the Academy.

The second thought was to clean this mess up as soon as possible. With a determined look on his face, he shouted as loudly as he could, "BLOODY GITS. GET YOUR ARSES IN CLASS. NOW!"

The students without a second thought, quickly dispersed as the president stared at the corpse, trying to figure out how the body got up there in the first place. He made a mental list of all tasks he now had to do. It was a long one and he had yet to catch up with all the paperwork and look over the forms Sechelles had yet to finish. He sighed. There was far too much to do in too little time. He also had to overlook the removal of the corpse. He really couldn't leave it alone for anyone to tamper with before the police arrived.

He turned to look at Sechelles, who was still standing next to him. She looked at him expectantly, awaiting her orders now that this new predicament arose.

"Just finish filling out the forms. I'll stay with the corpse. Could you go back to headquarters and grab some of my paperwork? I might as well finish it while I wait for the sheriff," he said stoically, not looking at her but at the corpse and the writing on the wall.

"Are you sure? I mean I could stay with the er…I mean I could get someone- a teacher or maybe Principal Rome to look after it. You should take a break. Relax for a bit," she said looking at the president with concern on her face.

"I'm fine, Angelique. If you could please go get my paperwork, I'd appreciate it," he said sternly yet calmly. Sechelles had never seen the president so quiet. He was always screaming or yelling at someone. And when someone expressed concern over his health, he would always shrug it off violently, saying that he was stressed not disabled.

She glanced once at the president before heading off to find the vice-president. Someone had to look after the president and she knew that even though the president and vice-president were not on the best of terms, they still cared for each other. Well she knew the vice-president cared and the president cared too even if it was buried somewhere in that icebox of a heart, he still cared. She decided to find the second-year representative as well and blushed at the thought. The second-year representative was on good terms with everyone, even if he did get carried away sometimes. She knew the president and the second-year representative were like brothers, bickering brothers, but brothers nonetheless.

Sechelles glanced back once more to see the president in the exact same spot, still staring at the corpse, his face expressionless. Yet his eyes expressed concern and worry.

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Alfred, the vice-president, had arrived late to school as he usually did. He yawned as he held his bag of McDonald's. He took another sip of coffee, wondering what mischief he should do today. He had taken to pulling some minor pranks on his fellow students ever since him and Arthur, the student council president, had fought. He saw no need to apologize but that was before Arthur collapsed. He had felt guilty ever since. So guilty that he couldn't even visit Arthur when he was in the hospital. Even though he knew that Arthur's "episode" had nothing to do with him, he still felt guilty. He felt guilty that he had contributed to Arthur's stress by fighting with him and shying away from his duties, leaving Arthur to deal with student council matters alone. They still hadn't spoken nor made up. He knew that he wasn't at fault and he refused to apologize. Heroes did no wrong!

Alfred shook his head as if to clear it of all thoughts concerning Arthur. Thinking about Arthur made him pensive and moody. He shouldn't be thinking about that right now. What he should be thinking about is who his next victim should be. He grinned at the thought. Perhaps he should trick Ludwig into thinking that Feliciano was secretly in love with him. He loved tricking Ludwig, the expressions he made while being pranked were just too perfect.

He whistled happily when he stopped by the gate. He spotted Francis and Antonio talking amiably. Alfred thought it was a good opportunity to find out some juicy gossip and maybe come up with tomorrow's prank and victim.

While Alfred had originally hated Francis, he had grown to like him ever since he and Arthur had fought. Alfred had always sided with Arthur when Arthur and Francis fought. But since the fight, Alfred saw no need to be against Francis and found him to be a good friend.

"Hi Francis! 'Sup 'toni," he said amiably.

Francis and Antonio stopped talking and turned to look at him. Francis smiled, even though he looked slightly irked at being interrupted while at work. Antonio, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Francis's advances and grinned at Alfred.

"Buenos Dias, Alfred," he said cheerily.

"So what are you guys talking about?" Alfred asked enthusiastically.

"Nothing much, Alfred," Francis said through a smirk.

Alfred opened his mouth to say something when he felt someone crash right into him, the force strong enough to knock him down to the floor.

"What was that?" Alfred muttered while rubbing his head. He turned and saw that the remains of his coffee were spilled on the floor.

His face fell. "Aw man! My coffee!" he complained, distressed. How was he going to get through the day?

Alfred turned and saw a girl on the floor, rubbing her elbows. He recognized her as Arthur's lame assistant. Alfred disliked her, but never showed or expressed his dislike. As far as she knew, Alfred liked her. He disliked the way Arthur looked at her, he used to look at him like that. He felt as if Sechelles was his replacement and that maybe, just maybe, Arthur didn't need him anymore. Not as a friend or as the vice-president.

He frowned for a moment and then smiled at Sechelles. He lifted himself up and extended his hand towards hers.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

She looked up at him and smiled before grabbing his hand muttering a 'thanks.'

"Alfred, I was hoping that you and Francis," at this she turned to look at Francis before continuing, "could look after Arthur for a bit."

Alfred looked baffled. Surely she knew that he and Arthur were not on speaking terms and avoided each other as much as possible.

Francis lifted an eyebrow before asking, "and why would we need to look after Arthur? He can take care of himself. He's made that clear, mon ami."

Sechelles felt herself about to blush and thought of dead mangled puppies before answering.

"There's something you both should see. Arthur's stressed enough as it is and I think he might have another episode if he tries to deal with this alone. I mean, I know he's a bastard and deserves to be miserable and all but this is serious. I may hate Arthur but that doesn't mean I want to see him get seriously hurt," she frowned at the last part. She hated admitting that she still cared for the bastard, even after all he put her through. If anything it just went to prove that she was the bigger person.

"Hurt? Why would Arthur get hurt?" Alfred asked frowning. He didn't like this, being steered into helping Arthur before they had made up. He was the hero and all but heroes deserved apologies too, especially when they were not at fault. Still, the hero in him could not refuse the request, a person in need should always be saved. Always, regardless of whether the person deserved to be saved or not.

Francis and Antonio both looked concerned.

"What happened?" They asked in unison.

"Its better if you see for yourself," Sechelles said stiffly. There was no way that she was going to describe that to anyone.

"Follow me," she said and strode back inside the gate.

Francis and Antonio looked at each other before following her. Alfred took a last mournful look at his spilled coffee, before heading after them. McDonald's was too precious to be left wasted.

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Arthur tapped his foot impatiently before turning to walk to the closest bench. Why on earth was that girl taking so long? Was it really that hard just to get some bloody papers? Was there no one competent in this god-forsaken school?

He huffed, locating a bench under a shriveled cherry tree and taking a seat on it. He turned his head to look at the message on the wall, deliberately trying not to look at the corpse. After Sechelles left, he took to staring at the corpse for a few minutes until he had started to get nauseous. He now avoided looking at it now, knowing that his mind would play tricks on him if he did look, conjuring up imagined blood and tattered limbs. He shuddered at the thought.

The message though, was equally disturbing for him. He kept thinking about how much work it would take for it to fade. What if it couldn't be removed and god forbid, they would have to add a layer of paint over it? The whole wall would have to be painted in order for it to look uniform.

Arthur sighed and cradled his head in his hands. He had too many problems, and too little to work with and even littler help. He rubbed his temple. He was starting to develop a headache from thinking so much. Sechelles, he hated to admit, had been right. He needed a break, he was too overworked and overstressed. He needed a break before his health failed him again. He did not need a repeat of that. That week had been the worst week of his life. Everyone was suffocating him with their false concern and kept visiting him and insisting that he should rest some more even when he had already slept for twelve hours and felt fine.

Footsteps interrupted. Arthur looked up and saw Sechelles walking towards him, with a stack of papers in her arms. At least she had managed to do what he asked. Behind her were Alfred, Antonio and Francis. Arthur sighed once again. She had brought reinforcements.

Sechelles handed him the papers without a word and left without looking back. Alfred, Francis and Antonio surrounded him. He was trapped with no escape.

By the expressions on their faces, Arthur could tell they had seen the corpse. They were grim. Alfred looked serious for once in his life. Francis looked at him nonchalantly as if nothing was wrong, but his eyes revealed his worry and concern. Antonio's smile was strained, lacking the usual abundance of joy and carelessness. They believed him to be the murderer's next victim and were trying not to make him panic by explicitly ignoring the severity of the situation.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked placidly, no rage or irritation in his voice. He was too weary to be angry. He frowned for a moment. It was not a good sign for him to be so weary so early in the day. Classes hadn't even started. He sighed again. It was going to be a long day.

"Sechelles told us that you might be in trouble and led us here. With good reason I might add, you do not look so well, mon ami. Perhaps you should rest, hmm?" Francis said soothingly, leaning in to feel Arthur's forehead. Arthur smacked his hand away.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I do not need you ruffians to look after me. I am not a child," Arthur scolded, anger and irritation in his voice.

Arthur felt relieved. He had his anger back. That was all he needed to get through the day. He could do this.

He looked at Alfred who stared back. The staring continued until Francis coughed and both turned to look at him.

"I think Antonio here should get to class. Right?" Francis turned to look at Antonio suggestively and Antonio stared blankly.

"But class hasn't started yet, Francis. Why would I go to class early?" Antonio asked with a grin. Francis shook his head disapprovingly and gently pushed Antonio away.

Once Francis and Antonio were out of sight, Arthur and Alfred continued staring at each other. And they continued like that, neither party wanting to give in first. When finally, Alfred muttered, looking at his feet, "Sechelles spilled my coffee."

Arthur arched an eyebrow.

"Really? She is rather clumsy and inconsiderate at times. Sometimes I wonder how she made it this far without falling into some river or getting a concussion from colliding with a pole," he huffed, not looking at Alfred.

Alfred was surprised. Arthur disliked her as well?

"You don't like Sechelles?" Alfred tried to ask nonchalantly.

Arthur scoffed, "she's a nuisance. But she does what I ask of her and her work is somewhat satisfactory."

"I had thought that…you had taken her as your assistant because you liked her." He failed to say that he had also thought she was meant to replace him but he wasn't going to tell Arthur that.

"No. I coerced her into it. She resents me for it but I knew she'd get the job done regardless of her feelings for me," Arthur said plainly. He sighed. His anger had evaporated and he was once again weary. He would have to rough the rest of the day out.

Alfred grinned. "I think you did it because you like her," he teased.

"I do not!" Arthur exclaimed, his face red.

"Oh, I think you do. I mean why else would you choose her out of everyone from the school? I mean you did say yourself that she did a somewhat satisfactory job. You could've gotten someone who could have satisfied your impossible standards like Kiku or something. But you didn't! You like her, admit it!" Alfred smirked, victorious. Things were alright again. It was almost as if they had never fought at all.

"I do not! I don't know why you keep insisting that I do. Bloody git, don't you know when to give it a rest? I meant what I said and I refuse to discuss the subject any further." He crossed his arms against his chest, defensive.

Alfred grinned widely.

"If you insist, Iggy," he said grinning widely this time.

Arthur fumed. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT! It's that BLOODY FROG'S fault!"

Alfred's grin widened. Yes, things were back to normal again.

He frowned once he remembered his reason for being with Arthur in the first place. He saw the body and the message beside it. Arthur was threatened. Even if the message failed to specify which Arthur was the next victim, Alfred knew that it was him. After all, Arthur was the most well-known and hated Arthur in the school. Who else could it be? And now it was his job, as a hero, to ensure that no harm befell Arthur. Although he preferred his maiden in distress to be _female_, Arthur will do just fine. He was smallish and that counted for something, right?

"Don't worry, Arthur! I'll protect you! I mean, I am a hero, after all."

Arthur shook his head. Alfred and his hero business, it drove him nearly bonkers at times.

"And what do I need protection from, may I ask, Alfred?"

"From the murderer," Alfred said bluntly.

"What?!" Arthur sputtered. What on earth gave Alfred the idea that he was the stated Arthur in the murderer's message? There were plenty of other Arthurs in the school. Surely, it was one of them that the message was intended at.

"What on earth makes you think that it is me? That I'm the Arthur the message talks about? There are other Arthurs in this school, you know. The message is clearly directed towards another Arthur, not me."

"What? No, it's you alright," Alfred said stubbornly.

"And what is your reasoning behind this?" Arthur asked skeptically. He was sure that Alfred's reasons were ridiculous like they always were. He prepared himself to laugh and ridicule.

"Well, 'cause you're you," he said simply.

Arthur arched his eyebrow. "That's it? Is that the reason that has you convinced that it's me? Really Alfred, I knew you were dense, but not this dense."

"'Cause everyone knows you and stuff. And not everyone likes you, Arthur," Alfred said, looking at his feet at the last part.

Arthur supposed that he was the most well-known Arthur in the school and that he wasn't well-liked by all but he saw no reason why anyone would want to kill him. And he would never let Alfred know that what he said made sense. His ego would increase tenfold.

"That's rubbish and you know it, Alfred. Now let's move on to more important matters like the police investigation. Where are those bloody wankers? They should have arrived ages ago," he muttered, glancing at his watch.

The Academy for its all prestige and fame was not situated in the most ideal of places. Little Flats was such a small town, that there was no police to speak of, only a sheriff. It did have its own hospital and mental institution but no major police department. Whenever, a situation arose, the police department from the closest city was called. It usually took them half an hour to arrive and they rarely came. Little Flats was such a picturesque town and the crime rate was low, almost nonexistent. The residents felt no need to have a large police department and decided that having just a sheriff and a couple officers should suffice.

Arthur grimaced. It wouldn't be until another ten minutes until the police would come.

"You should get going, Alfred. Class should start soon."

"No way. I told you that I was going to protect you, didn't I? What if the murderer comes and tries to depose of some evidence he stashed? I can't leave you alone to fend for yourself. So I'm staying."

Arthur could see that Alfred was determined and that nothing could convince him otherwise.

"Fine, stay. But stay quiet when the police arrive. I can't have you mucking things up," Alfred said sternly, hoping that Alfred would choose to listen to him for once.

"OK!"

Arthur hated to admit it but he had missed Alfred's enthusiasm. Alfred's absence in his life made his life less complicated but he felt a bit lonely without him. But he would never, even under extreme duress, would he ever admit that to anyone, let alone Alfred of all people.

When Arthur turned to look at the corpse again, he saw that the ambulance had already arrived. Arthur figured that they must have arrived when he was distracted by Alfred. Another reason to dislike Alfred.

Arthur stood up and walked over to them. They had already managed to remove the body and were in the process of loading it into the ambulance.

"May I?" Arthur asked the closest paramedic.

A blonde paramedic turned to face him and nodded. Arthur look at the corpse's face and found that he did not recognize the student. He sighed inwardly. This certainly didn't help figure out why he was killed.

"How did he die?" Arthur asked bluntly.

It was another paramedic who answered him, a brunette, with her hair tied neatly in a bun.

"Drowned by the looks of it. The lack of-"

"…clotting suggests that he was pinned to the wall after he was already dead," Arthur finished. The paramedic looked at him surprised.

"Smart kid, aren't you?"

"Not a child but yes, intelligent," Arthur stated, nodding.

Arthur turned around and saw Alfred by his side, standing quietly and nodding. Arthur turned again and saw the student's face. He was a freshman by the looks of it.

Arthur and Alfred stood side by side as they watched the paramedics wheel the cart in and close the door behind them. As the ambulance drove off into the distance, Arthur couldn't help but feel sympathetic to the boy's fate. Drowned and hung out like he was merely a piece of laundry. Who knew if the murderer would be found? Most likely not. There were too many people, any of whom could up make up a story about seeing the murderer escape and others may point fingers elsewhere, all without proof. The police would grow less and less interested in the case once they find too many unrelated accounts and not enough clues. The case will then be classified as a cold case until it is eventually forgotten and no one even remembers that something like that had ever occurred. Something inside Arthur awoke. What if it was him that was murdered? Would anyone care? Would anyone see to it that justice is done? He refused to let the murderer go unpunished. He now felt the need to have justice. He would find the boy's murderer, he promised. And justice will be done.

"Alfred?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to find him."

"Find who?"

"The murderer."

Alfred gave Arthur a puzzled look. "You want to find the murderer?" Alfred asked skeptically.

"Yes," Arthur stated, determined.

"But that's dangerous!" Alfred exclaimed.

"I know but I can't help but feel that I have to find him. Justice must prevail, Alfred. Can't you see? The coppers won't find anything, Alfred. There were too many people who saw the body, not all of them will be completely honest. Rumors will be made up and will blur the distinction between hearsay and fact. I'm rational, I can do it. I will look for him and nothing you say will convince me otherwise," Arthur said sternly, he would not be swayed.

Alfred sighed. "I can't convince you, can I?"

"No."

"Well then, I guess I have no choice but to help you," Alfred said grinning at him. "We'll solve it together!"

It was Arthur who sighed this time. "I can't convince you otherwise, can I?"

"Nope! I'm the hero! And a hero never lets a maiden in distress go off alone on dangerous adventures!" Alfred burst out.

"I'm no maiden in distress! Why in the bloody hell would you think that?"

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So......thoughts and concerns?

And yay, I have a beta! 8D She's wonderful and helped a lot. w Thanks, dearie.

As for when the next chapter is going to be up, I honestly do not know. I have a lot to do this weekend. But I will try my best to post it as soon as possible. Hopefully, it shouldn't be longer than a week. .

Thanks for all the nice comments, faves and story alerts, everyone. I'm happy that you guys are enjoying it. ^^

As a treat for you guys, I have included a short summary of what the next chapter is about.

Ch 3 Of Setbacks and Clues- Arthur is forced to put the investigation aside when he is charged with the task of finding the source of a strange smell that has overwhelmed the Academy.

I know what you guys are thinking but trust me, the next chapter is not what it seems.


	3. Ch 3 Of Setbacks and Clues

A/N: sorry about the late update. I was having some internet problems and a busy weekend.

Hope you guys enjoy.

Ch 3 Of Setbacks and Clues

The alarm was loud, _very_ loud. Arthur groaned softly and rolled over in his bed. He groped blindly, trying to turn off the damned contraption. He gave a soft sigh when he found it and successfully hit the snooze button. With that done, Arthur snuggled himself in his blankets and went back to sleep.

Arthur's roommate, Kiku, saw this and shook his head in disapproval.

"Arthur-san, you must wake up," Kiku said softly, shaking Arthur's shoulder or what he thought was his shoulder.

Arthur groaned, "I'm rather put out, Kiku. Can you please let me sleep for a few more minutes?"

Kiku shook his head once more. "I'm sorry, Arthur-san. You specifically told me when something like this occurred that I must rouse you from your bed. Do you remember?"

Arthur and Kiku had come to an agreement at the start of the semester about these kinds of situations. Arthur would keep his side of the room clean and organized and he had promised that he would _never again_ go drinking with Francis, no matter how appealing the idea might be at time. Kiku, in return, would keep his side organized as well and had promised, to himself anyway, not to bring Ludwig or Feliciano to their room. Arthur and Ludwig were not the best of friends, to say the least, and it made Kiku's life less complicated if the two were far away from each other. Arthur had also asked Kiku to make sure that Arthur was up when he needed to be. Kiku had complied and the situation had never really occurred that is up until that point.

Arthur sighed. "You are correct. Thank you for reminding me, Kiku," Arthur said gratefully.

"It really is no trouble, Arthur-san," Kiku said with a small smile.

The two had grown to like each other throughout the year, which surprised Kiku. Kiku, at first, was horrified when he found out that Arthur had been chosen as his roommate. Not that he disliked Arthur. At that point, he had thought Arthur to be rather disagreeable and feared that they would get into arguments and disagreements. Kiku disliked arguing with people and he avoided it whenever he could. Kiku had been surprised to see another side of Arthur, a side he never showed to anyone else with the exception of Alfred. Kiku had seen Arthur being kind, quiet and almost reserved. Kiku had felt bad then for having based his opinion of Arthur on Arthur's outbursts. The two had much in common and a friendship had blossomed because of it.

It hurt Kiku to see Arthur like this. He had grown used to his personality and quirks and knew that Arthur was at his best when he was angry. To see Arthur so tired and almost despondent made Kiku fear for Arthur's health. Arthur had been like this since before he had collapsed a couple months ago. Kiku had promised himself that he would not let such a thing occur again.

"Perhaps it is best if you stayed and rest today. You look weary. A long nap should do you some good. I'll call the attendance office for you."

Arthur sighed inwardly. His own investigation on the murder had taken a lot out of him. He also had to finish his paperwork before the festival. Alfred had stepped up and had helped him with it but it was not enough. He was too far behind. As much as he disliked it, he would have to ask Sechelles to start doing some paperwork as well. He needed as much help as possible if he was to finish on time. Arthur's schedule did not involve taking a day off. However, he felt tired and overworked, not as bad before but almost as much. He would have another "episode" if he kept going at this rate, something that he could not afford to do.

Arthur nodded. "You are right, Kiku. Thank you for telling me."

Kiku was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Kiku headed towards it and opened it. Alfred stood outside, one hand inside the pocket of his ever-precious bomber jacket, the other held a bag of McDonald's.

"I brought breakfast," Alfred smiled and stepped inside.

Alfred's manners were the same as always, Kiku noted.

"Arthur?" Alfred stood before the pajama clad Arthur.

"Why ain't you dressed yet? We have loads to do. OH! And this is for you." He extended the hand that held the McDonald's bag towards Arthur.

"What would I want to eat this rubbish for? And how many times do I have to tell you, Alfred, 'ain't' is not a real word. Would it hurt you to speak proper English?" Arthur was slightly touched. Alfred rarely thought about others. And for Alfred to get him breakfast…well, it was unusual, that was for sure.

"But you're the one who talks weird," Alfred muttered while chewing a hamburger.

Arthur rubbed his temple. He could sense a migraine forming.

"I'm not going to school today, Alfred. I need to rest," Arthur said irritably.

Alfred cocked his head to the side, pensive. Then he smiled. "How about we play hooky?"

"What?"

"You know, ditch class."

Arthur scoffed, "I am not skipping class for-"

"Come on, Iggy. We can go someplace fun! Like a theme park or something. Come on, Iggy!" Alfred was so eager and excited about it that Arthur felt that he had no choice but to accept.

"Well, I suppose if you insist that perhaps if we went somewhere that isn't too strenuous-"

"Yay!" Alfred cheered; enveloping Arthur in a tight embrace. Arthur blushed at their proximity and buried his face in Alfred's shoulder, hoping that Alfred wouldn't notice. And Alfred didn't notice but Kiku did.

Kiku smiled at them, sensing the strong bond between them. They made a good match and complimented each other. Taking it as his cue, Kiku politely excused himself and left them on their own.

The embrace continued until Arthur coughed, and then Alfred released him. Then there was a light knock on the door, light enough that Arthur almost missed it. Arthur signaled with his finger to be quiet and opened only a crack of the door.

"What is it, Francis?" Arthur asked irritated. Arthur hated how the frog always thought that he could just bother him whenever he felt like it.

"You don't seem very happy to see me, Arthur. You are too cruel," Francis teased, his expression one of mock hurt. Francis looked Arthur up and down and then smirked.

"Why are you still in your sleep wear, mon ami? Did you have a late night with you-know-who?" Francis winked at him. Arthur blushed slightly. Francis had taken to teasing him about Sechelles. He had thought that Arthur coerced Sechelles to be his assistant so that he could spend more time with her. Arthur had denied the accusation but Francis was relentless. The man just did not know when to give up.

Alfred had been going through Arthur's drawers when he had heard Francis's remark. Was Francis talking about him or Sechelles? Alfred grew angry at the thought. Arthur didn't like her like that…right? He frowned, confused. The idea of Arthur and Sechelles dating made him angry for some reason even though it shouldn't have. Arthur and he were just friends. There should be no reason for him to be…jealous. Alfred shook his head. He wasn't jealous…he was just worried. That's right, worried. Worried that Arthur wouldn't spend time with him if he were dating someone.

"Are you here for any particular reason?" Arthur asked, his voice containing its usual annoyance.

"I'm here to deliver something or rather someone," Francis said as he stepped aside and revealed Sechelles behind him. Arthur blanched and slammed the door in her face.

"Arthur! Why did you do that?! LET ME IN!" Sechelles shouted while pounding the door with her fist.

Arthur wondered why she was here. She had no reason to be visiting him at his dorm room.

Alfred had seen Arthur's reaction. He felt strange, like someone was squeezing his heart. It hurt. Maybe Arthur really did like her.

"What?" Arthur stared at Alfred angrily.

Alfred realized that he was staring and shook his head. "It's nothing," he said placing the picture frame in his hands back on Arthur's desk.

"Why did you slam the door?" Alfred asked not looking at Arthur, rearranging papers on Arthur's desk.

"I wasn't decent. A woman should never see a man in his pajamas." Noting Alfred's pensive face, Arthur asked "What's wrong, Alfred?"

"It's nothing," he said again, this time with his usual grin.

"Alfred, can you please leave so that I may dress?"

Alfred stood there, staring at Arthur. "Why? I mean, we're both male. It's not like I don't know what's under there," Alfred stated bluntly.

Arthur blushed. "Alfred, please."

"Fine," Alfred said, turning around, his back to Arthur. "Is that better?"

"Yes," Arthur replied, removing his pajamas and neatly folding them on his bed. He picked one of his casual outfits (complete with a sweater vest) and finished dressing. "You may turn around now."

Alfred was both surprised and not surprised at the same time. He really hadn't seen Arthur in casual clothes. But he was not surprised to find Arthur to be wearing a dorky dark green sweater vest, a green tie and a white collared shirt. It suited him and somehow complimented his slim figure.

"You're wearing that?" Alfred asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes and you are not the one to be making judgments. After all, you wear that shoddy jacket all the time."

"My jacket's cool unlike that dorky sweater vest," Alfred replied.

Arthur ignored the last comment and opened the door. "I'm sorry about that. I was not decent. You may come in now," Arthur said, holding the door open and beckoning them inside. Francis smirked with satisfaction, believing his allegation to have been proven right.

Sechelles took Arthur's lofty chair and sat on it. Francis leaned on the wall, eyeing Arthur. Alfred sat on Arthur's bed.

"So you were hiding the Américain? Oh ho ho, I didn't know you liked to play with boys, Arthur," Francis said, a mischievous smirk on his face. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Alfred was just picking me up for school. Now, why are you both here?" Arthur asked solemnly.

"First you must tell why dear old Alfred was here. Maybe you and he were having a little fun-"

"Cut it out, Francis. No one wants to hear your sexual innuendos," Sechelles scolded. "Principal Rome asked me to deliver a message to you. He said that you should investigate 'The Odor.' He failed to specify why though," Sechelles said, slightly puzzled.

'The Odor' was a mysterious weather abnormality that had struck The Academy and Little Flats. The weather, which had usually been warm at that time of year, turned cold, the clouds becoming gray as well. There were frequent storms, not strong enough to cause serious harm, but bizarre nonetheless. Also, a strange odor had arisen and had become stronger with each passing day. It was the smell that had been described as a cross between spoiled fish and rotting eggs all covered with mildew. The students and residents took no notice of it at first, with the smell and weather changes being mild. But as it grew stronger, they had all tried to find some way to mask the odor, which had become almost unbearable.

Francis, having ignored Sechelles's message, said, "Ah, but ma chérie, I must simply find out what scandalous activities our beloved president partakes while he is not under public eye. He is a pervert, after-"

"NOT NOW, FRANCIS," Arthur seethed through gritted teeth. That frog just did not know when to give up. "For the last time, I AM NOT A PERVERT. Where do you get such ludicrous ideas? Now back to the matter at hand-"

"Wait! You're a pervert, Arthur? I didn't know that. I mean you don't act like one-"

"Alfred, please. Not now," Arthur said while rubbing his temples. It was simply far too early in the morning to deal with Francis and Alfred at the same time. Not only that but the one day, the _ONE_ day, that he had decided to rest was the day that Principal Rome had stuck him with some miniscule assignment. Life hated Arthur, that was it. Hated him and wanted him to die a cruel and painful death.

"Hey, what about our date?" Alfred asked, a frown on his face. Sechelles and Francis both looked at Arthur, shock evident on their faces. "What date?" they asked in unison.

"It is not a date. It's something that was spur of the moment. But it is certainly not a date," Arthur said defensively, arms crossed. He admitted that the idea of going on a date with Alfred surprised him but it was not an all unpleasant idea. But he would never say that to the others. Francis would ridicule him until time itself ended, Alfred would get the wrong idea as usual, and Sechelles…well, he didn't want to know what Sechelles would think. It was probably something about him being both perverse and distasteful. He could not really disagree with her. He was both after all, no matter how much he denied it.

"I promise, Alfred, I will go with you wherever you want-"

"Even a strip club?" Francis interrupted.

"-as soon as I finish this assignment for Principal Rome. After I finish, I am yours for the day. And not in that way, Francis," Arthur concluded, countering whatever comment Francis could come up with it. Francis sighed with disappointment.

Alfred cheered with joy and smirked. Even Sechelles hadn't spent the whole day with Arthur by himself on some non-school related outing.

Arthur turned to Sechelles to find her looking at Francis, with a small smile on her face. Arthur grimaced. "Angelique, I was hoping that you could perhaps aid me in this endeavor," Arthur said in a tone that demanded attention and could not be refused.

Sechelles frowned and looked at Arthur with distaste. "Well, when you say it like that, how could I refuse?" Alfred groaned internally. He thought it was just going to be him and Arthur. He had rarely spent time alone with Arthur ever since Sechelles waltzed her way into Arthur's life.

"Shall we get going? And Francis, you're not invited."

"I see London, I see France, I see a drawer full of Arthur's underpants!"

"FRANCIS!"

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Arthur had decided the best place for them to start would be to interview residents and students on what time they noticed 'The Odor' had emerged. He thought it was best if he, Sechelles and Alfred split up. That way they could cover more ground. Alfred and Arthur would rendezvous in an hour, at the pier while Sechelles would return to school. The pier was only a mile from the Academy and was one of the few tourist spots in Little Flats. Francis's comment had made Arthur apprehensive. Arthur thought that the pier would be a good place for them to spend the rest of the day. Nothing of any illegal nature could happen there.

During the school issued "breakfast break", Arthur found a student sitting by himself and thought it would be good to start with him.

"'Ello fellow student. I was going to ask you a few questions that is if you don't mind? Good. Now, perhaps you have noticed a strange odor has recently emerged here. What are your thoughts on when this phenomena occurred?"

The student stared at Arthur with a blank look before speaking. "You have a funny accent, are you from Australia?"

Arthur gritted his teeth. "JUST. ANSWER. THE. BLOODY. QUESTION."

"Oh, it seems like a crap load of puss, you know the kind of puss you get from like a deep cut that wasn't treated properly and then starts to get infected and oozes…"

Arthur walked away before the boy could finish. Never again, he decided. Never ask an idiotic youth to do something simple and expect it to get it done properly.

After that unfortunate incident, Arthur thought it best just to ask the residents for their thoughts. They were fully grown adults, their answers should be reasonable at least. Arthur thought to start with the sheriff. He headed to the sheriff's office located a block from the Academy.

The sheriff's office was a small building, old and in poor condition. Its rafters were loosened by rain, tree branches scratched its windows, and the porch stairs were creaky. He went up the steps, opened the door and stepped inside. Behind a desk, was a woman, late in her fifties, typing into an old computer. She saw Arthur and smiled.

"How may I help you?"

"I'm here to see the Sheriff, that is if he's still in his office."

"Oh, he's in there alright. Probably taking his nap," the woman said, standing up and leading Arthur to the Sheriff's office.

"His nap?" Arthur frowned. Was this what the sheriff chose to do with his time?

The woman led him down a short narrow corridor, at the end of it was a door with a plaque on it, the words 'SHERIFF O FIC" on it. Arthur thanked the woman and knocked lightly on the door.

"Sir? I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. It would take but five minutes of your time." Arthur stood outside, waiting for a response. He heard some grunts and footsteps. The door opened and revealed an old wiry man, who ushered Arthur inside.

Arthur never had the pleasure to meet the sheriff but he had assumed the man to be noble, just and respectful. All he saw was a man who was beyond his prime, and whose glory was long since spent. That did not mean that he was not deserving of respect so Arthur held his tongue.

"Now what were these questions you had to ask me?"

Arthur began, "I am not sure if you have noticed but the town seems to have some strange weather phenomena-"

"Oh, I am well aware of that. There's nothing in this here town that I am not aware of. Nothing here happens without my knowledge of it," the sheriff said, voice full of pride and authority. That was more of the sheriff Arthur expected.

"Do you know when this phenomena had first occurred?"

"You bet your young life on it I do. I will never forget that day, or that week for that matter. Neither will you. It started about five days before they found that murdered student pinned to that wall in that school." Arthur froze for a moment. The phenomena had started a few days before the murder? Was it possible for the two events to be related?

"Do you think the two are related?" Arthur asked, eagerly awaiting the answer.

"What do you think? This is the first murder this town has since its founding back in 1653. And the weather hasn't changed dramatically in over 20 years. And the same week that some strange weather and smell appear is the same week that a student is found murdered. Do you think that could be merely coincidence? Something is going on in this town, something wicked, something no one has seen in over three hundred years. And I don't like the looks of it," the sheriff said stoically, his expression pensive and slightly shaken. Arthur didn't know what to make of it.

"And where do you think it's coming from?" Arthur asked quietly.

"The sea. It's a mysterious thing, that creature. You know, man has uncovered all the corners of the earth, unmarked every stone and explained everything. But the sea…the sea is a mysterious maiden, and men haven't finished fishing out all her secrets. It's there that wretched phenomena started. The epicenter of the storm." Arthur had to admit that the man was a bit poetic but somewhat…superstitious.

"Thank you, that is all. I can see myself out," Arthur said politely before leaving the sheriff alone with his thoughts. He left the office and headed outside.

He decided to go next door and interview the local butcher. He had managed to interview him but found nothing he said to be of use. The sheriff's words echoed in his head. He tried to continue on with other interviews but the thoughts persisted until finally, he decided to head to the beach.

Coral beach, it was called for all its clarity. It was said that from Spirit Hill, a large hill and the highest point of elevation in Little Flats with the exception of the lighthouse, you could see all the sea's wonders from the stunning clarity of the sea's water. Little Flats prided itself of the water's clarity and had very strict regulations against littering.

It had taken Arthur five minutes to reach it. He had sprinted to the edge of the beach, right up to the point where water hit sand. He sat down and stared at it for what seemed like hours, hoping to find the source of the smell and the weather disturbances. He saw nothing out of the ordinary and sighed. The sheriff's words had gotten to him. He too believed that the sea had been the source of the strange phenomena and that it was somewhat related to murder.

A hand gripping Arthur's shoulder shook him out of his thoughts. He turned around and saw Alfred smiling down on him.

"Hey," Alfred simply said taking a seat next to Arthur. "What are you doing?"

"It's nothing, Alfred," Arthur sighed, suddenly weary. He rested his head on Alfred's shoulder. Alfred blinked in surprise and then relaxed, wrapping his arm around Arthur's thin shoulders.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am quite certain. I'm tired, Alfred. Do you mind if I rest for a wee bit?" Arthur closed his eyes. Alfred smiled down on him.

"No, I don't mind. You had a long day," Alfred said, snuggling closer to Arthur. He stroked Arthur's hair and brushed aside a few stray hairs from his face. He smiled. This was nice. They should do things like this more often. Alfred felt something stirring in his heart but could not identify what it was. It didn't feel bad, so he put the questions he had about it aside. He let himself enjoy the moment.

He looked down on Arthur once more and found him to be sound asleep, snoring lightly. Alfred chuckled, placing a quick peck on Arthur's forehead before staring into the sea.

Arthur's last thoughts before heading into a deep slumber were that the smell was familiar. It smelled of an old friend.

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Questions and Concerns, anyone?

Um, as for the next chapter I'm not sure when I'm going to update since I have to work and my school load has increased since last year. I'll try my best to update as soon as possible. .

Thanks again for all the support. It keeps me going.


	4. Ch 4 Of Bombs and Boys

A/N: More Francis in this chapter for those France fans out there. XD And sorry for the bad French. I used Google Translate since I don't know a word of French. I hope its not too bad.

Ch 4 Of Bombs and Boys

The Academy had been, at first, slightly rattled by the murder. But as days past, the incident was forgotten once the evidence of the occurrence disappeared. The rain had washed away both the bloodstains and the message on the wall. Some willed themselves to forget, wanting to enjoy their lives without the reminder that not all was what it seemed. Others were apathetic to the victim's plight. Either way, the incident was put out of mind and normalcy seemed to return to the Academy.

Arthur was one of the few who refused to forget. He refused to let the matter go and had done everything in his power to try to discover anything he could about the murder. So far, he had come up with almost nothing. Student testimony wasn't very reliable, so that left Arthur with only the staff to question. None of them had seen what had happened to the student. They knew the same thing as everyone else, that someone was murdered. Arthur had almost given up on getting any details as to how the body was placed on the wall when a custodial janitor had told him that the body had been on the wall after the sunset but before sunrise. Now he knew the time when the body was placed.

Arthur also went through the old yearbooks and discovered the victim's name. He was an 'Evan Matlock,' a first year who had gotten into some tough scraps in the past. Arthur had tried to interview his family and friends as to when they had last seen him but all expressed the same intense desire to be left alone. Evan's mother had even gone to the trouble to slam the door on Arthur's face when he had gone to her house to interview her.

With almost nothing to go on, Arthur felt discouraged but he was determined to see this through to the end. Alfred's cheerful and optimistic attitude had also helped. Arthur knew he could solve this if only he had more to go on. Arthur decided to focus on paperwork for the time being before talking to the detective on the case.

Arthur had spent the whole morning working on paperwork, even getting up earlier than he usually did to try to get some work done. All to no avail, he had barely made a dent in the large stack of papers gathered at his desk. Arthur sighed. He really was getting nowhere fast.

Arthur heard the door open and footsteps approach him. He didn't bother looking. It either was Sechelles, Francis or Alfred. He suddenly felt something warm envelop him. Arthur looked up and found Alfred smiling down on him, having placed his bomber's jacket around Arthur's thin shoulders.

"Hey. You're up early. You didn't call or text me. I would have come if I knew you were here," Alfred frowned, concern etched on his face.

"I didn't want to wake you, Alfred. I just needed to get this work finished once and for all," Arthur said, going back to his work. Alfred looked around.

"Sechelles isn't with you?"

"No, she's working on some other assignment I gave her," Arthur said, grabbing some more papers. Alfred grinned, "so its just going to be the two of us?"

"Francis should be here in a few minutes," Arthur added with a slight frown.

"Oh." Alfred had hoped that they could have some time together…alone. Not that he disliked Francis, it was just that he aggravated Arthur and they usually argued about the silliest things. Alfred would usually act as a mediator on Arthur's behalf.

The door opened once more and Francis entered with his usual flair.

"Bonjour, mes amis. Now how are we today?" Francis said with his usual flirtatiousness.

Arthur groaned. Alfred grinned. "We're alright, Francis. How about you?"

"Tres bon, Alfred. Look Arthur, I have found something that may interest you. Something that will enlighten you with your _romantic_ troubles," he said taking out some magazines from out of nowhere and placing them on top of the papers Arthur was working on.

"And what is this rubbish?" Arthur asked while he took a look at one magazine. He blushed and threw them back at Francis. "I don't want to see any of your garbage on my desk."

"Really? Your face says otherwise," Francis smirked.

Arthur's face became a deeper shade of red. "It does not." Alfred looked at Francis and then at Arthur.

"What was it? I want to know," Alfred said as he reached for one of the magazines Francis held in his arms.

"NO!" Arthur yelled. Both Francis and Alfred turned to look at Arthur. Francis smirked while Alfred's curiosity as to what could make Arthur scream like that got the better of him. Alfred took a magazine in hand while Francis was holding off a fuming, screaming and struggling Arthur.

The magazine was not a magazine at all as Alfred thought but something that he had seen Kiku look at before. He opened it and flashed through the pages stopping when a particular page caught his attention. He didn't think anyone could bend like that. He wondered if perhaps Arthur could bend like that and blushed at the thought.

"Uh, I-uh. Here," Alfred said as he held the magazine out for Francis to grab.

"You keep it. Maybe one day, you might have to put it into use…" Alfred blushed and looked at Arthur to find him staring at his desk, face red as an apple.

"I need to get to work, if you don't mind, Francis," Arthur said, motioning with his hand for Francis to leave. "Oh ho ho ho, is it that you want some _alone_ time with a certain Américain?" Francis suggested, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

Arthur opened his mouth to reply only to be interrupted by the sound of a door being slammed.

Sechelles stormed in, the expression on her face one of extreme anger. Francis and Alfred stepped aside, knowing that it was best to get out of Sechelles's way when she was in a fury.

"YOU ARROGANT UNGRATEFUL PIG!" she screeched.

"What is it this time, Angelique?" Arthur didn't even bat an eye, choosing to continue his work.

"You doubled my workload without even telling me and you-" She stopped once she saw what Francis was holding. She shuddered and then sighed.

"Oh, never mind!" she said with frustration. She knew that Arthur wouldn't understand, like always. He only saw work to be done.

Sechelles jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Francis smiling down on her. "Tout va aller pour le mieux*. Relax, Sechelles," he said, rubbing her shoulders. This got a shriek of rage from Arthur.

"Don't touch her, you frog!" Arthur seethed. Alfred's smile dimmed once he saw Arthur's face, his suspicions of Arthur's feelings getting stronger along with the ache in his heart. Was she the one Arthur had eyes for?

"Don't be jealous, Arthur. So overprotective of your paramours," Francis teased. Both Arthur and Sechelles tensed while Alfred's face fell.

"He's an arrogant jerk! I would never like someone like him. And did you see those eyebrows of his?" Sechelles said, acting as if Arthur wasn't there.

"HEY! My eyebrows are fine! There's nothing wrong with them!"

"Have you looked into a mirror? They're HUGE! Like giant caterpillars! And I think the rest of mankind would disagree with you. They should be exterminated."

"Stop speaking of my eyebrows as if they were a menace! As if you are any better! You're an insolent, good-for-nothing, pain in the arse, beastly, cheeky girl who can't do anything without making a bloody mess out of it! And there's more where that came from. Belt up!"

Alfred whistled and Francis smirked. Arthur was not Arthur if he didn't curse. Sechelles just pouted. She hated losing to Arthur. One day, she'd win. She just had to.

Francis wrapped his arm around Sechelles's shoulders. "I'll walk Sechelles to class. That way you can get some _alone_ time with Alfred. Arthur, you are such a player. I approve," Francis said with a smirk.

Arthur groaned. Francis just never gave up. The man was going to be the death of him. That was for sure.

"Francis, actually there's something that Sechelles and I need to see to before we head to class." Francis arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Alfred looked worriedly at Arthur.

"Are you sure, Arthur? You know, I can walk you. I am the hero, after all. And a hero always protects a mai-"

"It's fine! Really, Alfred. I can see myself to class. Don't worry about it," Arthur said quickly, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Ok, then. I'll see you at lunch?"

"Yes, lunch," Arthur said, his cheeks still slightly flushed.

"Au Revoir, mes amis," Francis said with an exaggerated wave as he and Alfred headed out the door.

Sechelles turned to look at Arthur, slightly puzzled. "So, what's this thing we have to do together?"

"There's some paperwork I need to turn in to Principal Rome. You can help me carry a stack," Arthur said, pointing to the stack of papers she was to carry while starting to grab another pile himself.

"Couldn't you ask Alfred or Francis to do that?" Sechelles asked absentmindedly. Francis had teased her about her relationship with Arthur. She mostly shrugged it off as Francis was just being Francis. But now, she could see some truth to it. Then again, Arthur was also close to Alfred. She sighed. Why did Arthur make everything more complicated than it had to be?

"Arthur, do you like Alfred?" she asked bluntly.

Arthur blushed deeply. "N-no! Of course not. Not that bloody git," he said rather unconvincingly. Sechelles shook her head. Of course, she wouldn't get an answer from him that way. Perhaps she and Francis could come up with some sort of scheme to get Arthur to open up about his feelings. It certainly would make her life a lot easier if Arthur was dating Alfred. Then again, it also might result in Arthur admitting he had feelings for her. She grew worried and blushed at the thought. She disliked Arthur but she didn't want to break his heart. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Sechelles looked at Arthur and found him to be looking at her expectantly. She grabbed the stack of papers that he had indicated earlier and lugged them out the door. Arthur followed behind her. Together, they made their way to Principal Rome's office without incident. Sechelles waited outside Principal Rome's office while Arthur turned the paperwork in. She wondered whether Francis was dating anyone. He flirted with anything that moved so that did not help her much. She hadn't seen him dating anyone in particular, then again, Francis was Francis and he was _always_ kissing someone. She sighed. Sometimes she felt as if she was utterly invisible to him, especially when Arthur was in the room. He loved to tease Arthur. Did that mean he liked him? Then again, he also teased her once in a while. She groaned. Francis was a difficult man to like. Why did every single boy in her school have to be so complicated or messed up in some way? There were a few exceptions to this of course but they were either seeing someone or not even straight. The Academy was a difficult school for a girl to look for a guy.

She was stirred from her thoughts when she heard the door open and saw Arthur come out.

"Come on, I'll walk you to your class," Arthur ushered her as he walked. Sechelles followed.

From the corner of his eye, he saw someone. It was a student, not much older than he was, perhaps even younger, with short dark brown hair wearing a soaking wet school uniform. He was standing on a stool and fiddling with a device in his hands, trying to attach it to the wall.

Arthur stopped in his tracks and was about to scold the boy about coming to school with a wet uniform when the student along with the stool vanished in the blink of an eye. Arthur rubbed his eyes before looking again. He must have been seeing things.

Sechelles gave Arthur a strange look, which Arthur rolled his eyes at. He continued walking until they had reached the mathematics building. Arthur had remembered that Math was her first class from the other times he had gone to walk her to class.

"Up to here is fine. You don't have to walk me all the way. You know, walking me to class like this might give people the wrong impression," Sechelles said.

Arthur scoffed. "It doesn't matter what people think. Francis already thinks that and nothing will stop him from telling other people, no matter what I do."

He frowned. At the corner of the building, he saw the same student again, the one with the wet uniform. He rubbed his eyes to make sure it was him and this time the student didn't vanish. Instead, he looked at Arthur straight on and gave him a cynical malignant smirk. The student snapped his fingers and fire erupted behind.

-----------------------------------

Sechelles found Arthur staring into the distance. She was about to ask him what he was looking at when Arthur jumped towards her.

"Get down!" he yelled as he pushed her to the ground. She was going to shove him off her but then she felt a strong heat blast hit them. She heard Arthur groan.

"Arthur? What happened? If this is some way for you to get a cheap feel, then you better get off me right now or I'll…Arthur?" Sechelles frowned. Arthur wasn't responding.

"Arthur?" She tried to push him off her gently. She let him slide from his side. He then rolled on the floor, landing next to her. She tried to rouse him when she saw his back. She gasped and retracted her hand. The back of his jacket and shirt were completely burned off. The skin on his back was raw and pink.

She suppressed a sob. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was stronger than this. She should be able to handle someone she knew getting injured, especially if it's someone she disliked as much as Arthur.

She turned around to see what had caused his injuries and gasped. The mathematics building was completely engulfed in flames, the fire growing stronger with gusts of wind. It was then that Sechelles knew that there was no chance that anyone could survive that.

Sechelles then tried to rouse Arthur once more. "Please, wake up, Arthur. I don't know what to do. You have to get up," she cried, no longer trying to suppress the tears. She kept shaking him, in the hopes that he was still alive. She tried checking his pulse. It was there, she barely felt it but there was one, beating slowing and steadily. Sechelles shoved his shoulder once more. After the third shove, Arthur stirred. His eyelids slowly opened.

"Wh-what? What happened? Why does my back feel as if some bloody asses ran over it?" Arthur groaned and tried to sit up. He looked up and saw the fire. He gasped in horror.

"Oh no."

"What do we do? Arthur?" Sechelles looked at him with a tear-stained face.

"Help me up. Get Principal Rome. I'll try to-arg…try to…evacuate…the building," Arthur said, his breathing growing labored. His breathing quickened once he realized something.

"Alfred…Francis….they might be in there," Arthur gasped.

"They're ok. Everything's going to be fine, Arthur. You'll see," Sechelles said as calmly as she could. Arthur needed to stay calm. His calm kept her calm. If he panicked, then all hell would break loose.

"Remember what we're doing. Evacuate the nearby buildings. I'll get Principal Rome and get help," Arthur commanded as sternly as he could. Sechelles then thought of Arthur's injuries. Could he do anything in his condition?

"Arthur, maybe you should-"

"NO! People are in trouble. My school is in trouble. I can't just sit here like an invalid and watch as my school goes up in flames. You do as I told you and find Alfred and Francis. Make sure they're ok," he said, determined, his breathing no longer labored. Arthur found strength in knowing his job, what he needed to do, what needed to get done. Sechelles admired his strength. It was probably the only thing she liked about him.

With a nod, Sechelles ran off into the opposite direction, heading to the Principal's office.

Arthur took one look at the burning building, determination etched on his face, and headed into the inferno.

----------------------------

Francis was reading one of the many porn magazines he had stashed into his book-bag. He was deeply engrossed in this issue. The English gentleman and the American had just admitted to one another that they loved each other and were about to consummate their love when the fire alarm rang, the buzzing loud and annoying, at full volume. A voice repeated in the speaker, "Please evacuate the building. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill."

With that Francis grew alarmed. He stashed his valuables into his backpack and headed into next door to look for Alfred and his brother, Matthew. Francis had a soft spot for Alfred's brother and had tried to ask him out only for both Arthur and Alfred to both deny him the pleasure. They had said that he was too flirtatious and unfaithful to be with someone like Matthew. Matthew was sweet, innocent and kind, everything that Francis was not. Alfred and Arthur had insisted that if he wanted what was good for the boy, he would leave him alone. It broke his heart much like Arthur had a year ago but he had listened to their advice, not wanting to hurt Matthew.

Francis searched the classroom, only to find it to be empty. The hallways were filled with panicking students, making it hard for Francis to scan through the crowd for Alfred and Matthew. After a minute of searching, Francis saw a stray strand of blond hair sticking out. That was Alfred and where Alfred was, Matthew was sure to follow.

"Alfred! Matthew!" Francis called out. Two blonde heads turned to look at him. Matthew tried to make his way through the crowded hallway until Alfred started shoving and pushing his way towards Francis.

"Francis! What's going on? Where's Arthur?" Matthew asked, a worried expression on his face. Alfred's face was not as worried as it was grim. Alfred looked at Francis and knew that he didn't know where Arthur was either.

"We have to find hi-"

"Alfred, no! You can't! It's too dangerous. What If something were to happen to you while you went to look for him? I can't lose you, Alfred. Please, what would I do without you?" Matthew's argument proved too strong for Alfred. He was a hero, damn it. He was supposed to help people, help Arthur. His urge to protect, to help was strong but the look on Matthew's face was too sad, too worried. Matthew had lost his mother. He did not want to lose Alfred as well. He was about to give in to Matthew's demands but then he thought about Arthur. What would he do if Arthur wasn't there anymore? If he was injured and rendered comatose? If he would no longer see him when he went to school? What if, and this was the most important, he couldn't see him anymore? Couldn't touch him, couldn't hold him, couldn't feel him, couldn't hear him. The mere thought of it proved to be too painful.

"Francis, will you take care of Matthew for me? I have to find-"

"NO! Listen to me, for once in your life! Don't go," Matthew pleaded, his face full of misery.

"I can't, Matty. I have to find him. If something happened to him and I wasn't there to help him, I wouldn't be able to live myself. I have to do this. Please understand, Matty," Alfred implored.

Matthew shook his head. "You better come back. I wouldn't forgive you if you didn't."

Alfred grinned. "Of course, I'll come back. I'm the hero and nothing bad happens to heroes. Francis, take care of Matty for me." With that said, Alfred ran off into the fray.

Matthew had wanted to say that sometimes heroes died but thought better of it. The image of a dead Alfred appeared in his head. He shook his head. He needed to think of positive things like Alfred coming back alive and hopefully untouched. He wanted Arthur to come back too. He knew his brother would be lost without him.

Francis held on to Matthew's shoulder. "Shall we go?" He asked lightly, almost as if the school was not in any danger and it was just the two of them, out in some field going on a picnic. Matthew smiled weakly at Francis's attempt to placate him. Matthew held on to Francis's hand tightly, afraid to let go. "Don't let go."

Francis smiled once more, this time the smile genuine. The two walked together, hand in hand, into the exit.

------------------------------

The first thing Lovino could think of doing was complain. He couldn't complain to just anyone, it had to be Antonio. He was a bastard and damn it, he deserved it. Of all the possible deaths, he could have had, it had to be suffocation by smoke in a burning building with Antonio. If he had to choose, he would have chosen something else, something not as sissy as suffocating, something cool like being impaled or something. Lovino sighed, at least he wasn't dead yet. The worst of it all, wasn't the smoke or the insufferable heat, it was the fact that he was stuck with Antonio of all people. Stupid, dense Antonio, who couldn't stop babbling even when the smoke made it difficult to breathe. Lovino supposed that he should have been scared and if he was any other person he would have been. But he hated Antonio ever since he was a kid, and the idea of them dying together really wasn't all appealing. He was still scared but he was more annoyed and angry than he was scared.

"Shut up, you bastard. Help me find a way out," Lovino spat as venomously as he could, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. It proved harder than he thought. He was becoming more frightened and less annoyed by the minute. He didn't want to die! Not yet, not here, not with Antonio, not now.

"Move it, damn it!" Lovino said, coughing as he tried to grab Antonio's arm. Antonio smiled gently at him as if he was a child who needed comfort. Even in the most terrible situations, Antonio could still smile. Lovino didn't know whether to cry or laugh or punch Antonio in the stomach like he was tempted to.

Antonio signaled to Lovino to be quiet. They had both been crouching on the floor, trying to get air. Antonio crawled to another classroom, trying to see if he could find an exit.

The west wing of the mathematics building had instantly gone up in flames during the explosion. Lovino and Antonio were in the east wing when the explosion occurred. They tried to open a window, only to find them all locked. They had tried the doors as well, only to find them chained together. They had decided to head to the other class, trying to see if the instigator had missed a window.

The further down they went, the more hope Lovino lost. They were going to die, weren't they? Damn it! He wasn't ready yet. He urged Antonio on more roughly, eager to find an exit.

Lovino and Antonio were making their way into the next classroom when they heard thumping coming from the chained doors. Lovino and Antonio looked at each other in confusion. Maybe it was rescue? The thought seemed to occur to Antonio who motioned for Lovino to stay where he was while he went to check it out. Lovino shook his head vigorously, refusing to be left behind. Antonio shrugged and made his way to the doors carefully. It was getting even harder to breathe.

The thumps intensified and then they stopped as abruptly as they had started. For a few minutes, it was silent save for the sound of fire cracking and objects crashing into the floor as the flames consumed them. Again, the thumps returned only this time the doors burst open revealing a very dirty and panting figure obscured by the smoke.

Lovino and Antonio stared at said person in anticipation. Was this the murderer and the instigator of the explosion?

"What are you waiting for, you bloody wankers?!" A very irritated and hoarse voice yelled through the smoke. Romano and Lovino relaxed and made their way to the obscured figure.

As they emerged out of the burning building, they saw a crowd of people held back by police tape. Fire fighters and police were on the scene, paramedics running around, tending to the injured.

Antonio turned to Arthur and enveloped him in a hug. Arthur winced in pain and wrapped his arms awkwardly around Antonio's arms. The embrace would have lasted longer were it not for Arthur coughing, indicating that the allotted time for the embrace was now over. Antonio let his arms fall to his sides and grinned widely.

"Gracias, Arthur, for rescuing Lovi."

"R-rescuing me? What about you? You were there too! Don't make me look like the victim, you bastard! Are you listen-" Lovino was cut off by a pair of lips on his own. His eyes widened in shock while he registered what was happening. Once his brain had digested the information, Lovino proceeded to push Antonio away, his face blushing furiously.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again. You. Bastard." And with that Lovino walked away, swatting the paramedics that had made their way to him, with Antonio rushing after him.

Arthur sighed, at least he tried to sigh but ended up coughing ferociously instead. He felt tired and drained. It had taken longer than he thought to find the blowtorch to break open the locked doors.

Arthur was about to make his way to the police when a figure pushed his way into the crowd and made his way towards him. Arthur's eyes widened when he saw the figure approach him.

Alfred.

Arthur could feel his heart start to slow down, relaxing, realizing that Alfred was alright. Arthur could feel tears prick at the corner of his eye and bit his tongue. He was not going to cry, not in front of Alfred.

They stood for a while, staring at each other, neither one making a move. Alfred took a step forward and then another and kept going until he was running faster and grabbed Arthur and pressed him into his chest protectively.

Arthur almost choked by the sheer power of the embrace until he felt a hand stroke his hair. "I thought…I…don't ever leave me!" Alfred cried, burying his face into Arthur's shoulder.

"You can't do that Arthur. You can't scare me like that 'cause heroes don't get scared. And they…"

"Shhh. It's alright, Alfred. Everything's fine," Arthur said soothingly, rubbing Alfred's back, not caring that everyone was watching. He continued until he felt Alfred's breathing become slow and steady.

"All better?" Arthur asked, a small smile on his face. Alfred smiled and nodded. He was reminded of all the times when Arthur had done this, comforting him without asking for anything in return. Alfred was lucky, he had someone like Arthur in his life to make it all better.

Alfred frowned when he saw Arthur wince in pain. "What's wrong, Arthur?"

"It's nothing. Just some minor scrapes and bruises, is all. Nothing that a hero should worry about, right?" Arthur said, trying to keep the pain from showing on his face.

Alfred was not convinced. He held onto Arthur's shoulders, to hold him still, and looked Arthur over. He saw no damage in the front. He was about to turn Arthur around when he felt Arthur tense up. Alfred saw Arthur shake his head but Alfred refused. He gently turned Arthur around and saw that the backs of his shirt and school jacket were burnt off, revealing pink raw and bleeding flesh. Alfred winced in sympathy but said nothing. He knew Arthur hated it when people fussed over him. Instead, he held Arthur's shoulder, making sure that he did not grip Arthur's injured back and walked him over to the paramedics.

Not a word passed between them. So Arthur had been injured after all. Alfred grew worried at the thought. Did someone devise this to kill Arthur? The worries he had managed to push to the back of his mind resurfaced. He had hoped that he was wrong (which of course was impossible because heroes were never wrong!) but the explosion had made him think otherwise.

Alfred was snapped out of his thoughts when the paramedics had loaded a protesting Arthur into the ambulance. Alfred turned to look at the paramedics. "Can I stay with him?"

"Are you family?"

"Yes," he lied.

"Hop on, kid."

Alfred stepped inside and gripped Arthur's hand tightly, suddenly scared for him. Arthur was cursing under his breath about being perfectly well and that a trip to the hospital was completely unnecessary. Alfred grinned. This was the Arthur that he knew and loved.

Arthur turned to look at Alfred, frowning. "Tell them it's not necessary."

"Sorry, Iggy. No can do. You have to go. What kind of hero would I be if I didn't make sure the damsel in distress got the proper treatment she deserved?"

"ALFRED! I am no maiden in distress. How many times do I have to bleeding tell you that?!"

Alfred chuckled. Arthur would always be his maiden in distress, no matter how much he protested otherwise.

----------------------

*French for "Everything's going to be fine."

In case someone didn't get it, Francis showed Arthur some graphic yaoi mangas in case he wanted "some help" with doing "it" with Alfred. XD oh Francis you devil.

Updates will probably coming slower now, I don't enough free time as I thought I would (at least without sacrificing sleep).

Preview for next chapter.

Ch 5 Of Detectives and Death- A detective comes to town to try to solve the case and more chaos ensues because of it.


	5. Ch 5 Of Detectives and Death

A/N: yes there is an OC but don't worry, he's only in this one chapter.

Ch 5 Of Detectives and Death

Patient A. Kirkland was scheduled to stay at Little Flats Medical Facility for at least a week for observation. The patient was allowed to leave 3 days after he was brought in due to the many complaints from various nurses, many doctors, several patients and numerous members of the janitorial staff.

It had started shortly after Arthur was brought in. He had started to complain to whoever was in the room with him of the incompetence of most people. Later in the afternoon, he had asked a nurse for tea and grew into a fury when the task had been forgotten.

But that had not been the worst of it. The second day of Arthur's stay in the hospital had been the start of a second War of the Roses. It started with Sechelles bringing flowers for Arthur. She denied having been worried about him. She said that all that she felt was pity for him and that a few flowers should elevate his irritable attitude. Despite her excuses, Arthur could see her concern and had kindly thanked her for the flowers. This in turn made Alfred angry and he proceeded to get Arthur flowers as well. Her competitive side getting the best of her, Sechelles retaliated with another bouquet, which Alfred countered with _two_ bouquets. The incident escalated until Arthur's room and the hallway outside Arthur's room were covered with countless bouquets and Arthur was forced to lie and tell Alfred and Sechelles that he was allergic to flowers.

By that point, however, the whole hospital had grown tired of Arthur's complaints and irritable nature and of the "mess" he had brought with him. As a result, Arthur got what he wanted and was discharged early, while Sechelles and Alfred were escorted by security for having started a food fight in the cafeteria when they were supposed to be getting Arthur's lunch earlier that afternoon

Arthur was personally relieved. He was tired of being treated like an invalid. He was injured, yes, but that did not mean he was suddenly an elderly senile sickly old man. He could follow instructions perfectly and could take care of himself.

His back itched. He ached to scratch it but knew he couldn't. He sighed. It would be awhile until the skin on his back healed completely. He looked up and saw Alfred pushing his wheelchair. Alfred had insisted that he take it easy and that apparently included not walking. Arthur was restless. He wanted to work again. He was made for work and couldn't live without it.

Sechelles handed Arthur some papers and placed them on his lap. She smiled at Arthur. Arthur rolled his eyes. His apparent feebleness had gotten to her too, it seemed.

She huffed. "See, this is why I hate you. You're so ungrateful. I went to the trouble of visiting you and bringing you flowers and you still give me that arrogant look. No 'thank you, Sechelles' or 'Nice one, Sechelles. I really appreciate the thought.' You're still the same jerk."

"Aww, don't be like that Sechelles. That's just how Iggy is. You can't expect him to act differently," Alfred said, giving her his 'hero' smile. Sechelles gave him a weak smile in return. It was hard to be negative when Alfred was around. His laughter and happiness was contagious. The only one immune to it was Arthur.

Sechelles scowled at Arthur. Arthur didn't seem to notice, too consumed in his own thoughts. He felt…exasperated. His investigation of the murder had turned into a dead end. All he had was the boy's name. He had spoken to some students who had known the boy (not his friends though, they had refused to speak to him). They had told him that Evan was constantly getting himself in trouble, hanging out with the wrong crowd. He had asked them what kind of trouble Evan had gotten into but their answers had been vague. They had said that it was nothing to get killed over.

That was all Arthur could really gather. The sheriff's suspicions of the 'Odor' being related to the murder had intrigued Arthur but he really had nothing to link the two together. If he was rational about it, he should have admitted that it was just silly and superstitious. The explosion had confused him as well. Was the explosion part of the murderer's plan or was it completely unrelated? And the student he had seen, was he part of this? Arthur had seen him before the explosion but his appearance seemed almost otherworldly. Arthur didn't know whether to dismiss the student as a hallucination or to include him in the growing list of unresolved matters. He vowed to solve the murder but now he saw that perhaps he couldn't solve it. There were not enough clues and even if the information gathered could be considered clues, there were too many loose ends to consider.

The thought that had bothered Arthur the most was the question of whether the series of events that had occurred since the murder had been due to supernatural causes. The student's ghostly appearance had made him consider the possibility that something supernatural might be behind the events. The idea troubled Arthur. He could handle normal things. A normal homicidal person could be handled (not by him of course but they could be handled nonetheless) but a supernatural being…there was no telling what they could do, or what they wanted.

Arthur felt groggy, the pain medication had taken its toll on him. He felt his eyelids droop and was about to fall into a deep and relaxing sleep until he heard a loud shrieking voice.

"I don't want to see that guy, you bastard! Let's go back!"

"Lovi, don't be rude! We must thank Arthur for all-"

"That's guy a bastard and we can send him a card-"

"Bonjour, mes amis!" Even in his groggy state, Arthur could recognize the voice that caused most of his migraines.

"Francis, why are you here? What are all of you doing here? Only Alfred and Angelique are supposed to be here." Arthur stated.

"Why we came to visit you, mon ami. What kind of friends would we be if we didn't visit?" Francis smiled, winking suggestively at Matthew, who was standing next to him.

"I'm not even in the bloody hospital anymore! Let go home and rest!"

"Arthur-san! I can take you to our room if you like," Kiku asked politely. Arthur almost jumped. He hadn't seen Kiku before. That frog must have distracted him. And beside Kiku were Ludwig and Feliciano. Since when had his injuries turned into an excuse to make a party?

"Ve~! Are you alright, Arthur? Ludwig told me you got injured and that you rescued Lovino. Th-"

"That's quite enough, Feliciano," Arthur said irritably. There were really too many people and he was tired enough as it was. He was tired and he just wanted to sleep.

"Yo, bushy-brows!" Gilbert was here as well? Arthur groaned and rubbed his temple. His migraine was intensifying by the minute.

"Hey guys, Arthur doesn't feel so hot right now. So I'm sure he appreciates you guys coming to see him but he needs to rest. Ok?" Alfred said, with that same irritating smile on his face. Alfred looked down at Arthur and gave him a thumbs-up. Those weren't the exact words that Arthur would have chosen but it was close enough. Alfred seemed to understand the gist of it. How had they gotten to this point? To the point that they knew what the other was thinking?

Arthur sighed. "Just get me to my room in one piece, Alfred."

"Sure, Arthur," Alfred said as he pushed Arthur's wheelchair, heading to the parking lot. Arthur look puzzled.

"What are we going to the parking lot for?"

"I drove here. I have a car. Didn't you know?" Arthur for one was stunned. He had no idea that Alfred owned a car, let alone that he could drive one.

When Arthur saw that Sechelles was still with them, he arched his eyebrow in question. "She came with me. She asked me for a ride and since I'm a hero, I couldn't refuse," Alfred explained. Arthur was confused by most of the things Alfred did. Alfred would tease him as much as Francis about having feelings for Sechelles and yet would act strangely whenever he was nice to her. Sometimes, he really thought that Alfred was bipolar.

They continued walking, and in Arthur's case, sitting, until they reached a 2006 silver Chevrolet Corvette. Arthur gaped at it. This was Alfred's car? How could he afford such a thing?

Alfred just shrugged. "My father gave it to me as a birthday present," he explained.

"I didn't know you spoke with your father. You rarely talk about him," Arthur said, frowning. Perhaps they weren't as close as they thought. He knew next to nothing about Alfred. He knew that Alfred lived with his brother, Matthew, outside the dorms but he had no idea where. He also didn't know anything about Alfred's parents or family situation. Then again, it wasn't like Arthur revealed much about himself to Alfred anyways. Arthur was a naturally introverted person. He liked to keep to himself and he rarely trusted others unless they were old acquaintances and had gained his trust (Francis being the only exception. Arthur disliked him but still cared about Francis and he had a long and complicated history).

Alfred's smile vanished when Arthur mentioned his father. "He's not a good guy. That's why I don't talk about him," Alfred said simply. Alfred took out his car keys from his pocket and unlocked the back door and opened it for Sechelles.

"Such a gentleman unlike a certain British fellow I know," she said, looking at Arthur fiercely.

Arthur huffed. "You wouldn't know a true gentleman even if he was parading around you." Alfred opened the door for Arthur as well, starting to grip Arthur from his arms. Arthur flailed his arms, trying to get Alfred to let go of him.

"I can walk on my own, Alfred. There's no need to do that," Arthur said crossly. The sooner he was in bed, the better. Arthur had fallen asleep during the car ride. Alfred had to carry Arthur (bridal style to his embarrassment) to his dorm room. He had found Arthur's key among the objects Arthur had taken with him to the hospital and unlocked the door. He set Arthur down on his bed. He was considering changing Arthur into his pajamas but grew red at the thought of stripping Arthur. There was no way Arthur was going to like that. Instead, Alfred just tucked Arthur in, making sure that he didn't cause Arthur any unnecessary pain.

Alfred smiled and thought to himself that this felt…nice. Arthur was certainly easier to deal with when he was sleeping. He looked peaceful when he slept. Alfred took a look around making sure that no one was looking (even if they were the only ones in the room) and gave Arthur a quick peck on the forehead.

Taking one last look at Arthur before he left, Alfred closed the door quietly.

--------------------

Kiku had left Arthur alone for the day so that he could rest without any disturbances. Still Kiku couldn't help but worry and had taken to checking in on Arthur every hour just to make sure that Arthur was well.

It was his fifth visit when he found Arthur awake. He seemed groggy and tired.

"You should rest some more, Arthur-san. You have been through so much," Kiku said politely as always, making sure to keep any signs of extreme worry out of his voice. Arthur disliked it when people worried about him and Kiku had learned that it was best to be calm when Arthur was injured. Arthur also tended to be more irritable while he was injured.

"I grow weary of just resting, Kiku. I need something to do. I'll go insane if I don't do anything productive." Arthur had always chosen to have a tremendous workload, he couldn't feel whole otherwise.

Kiku sighed inwardly. Arthur was a stubborn man and nothing he could say could possibly make Arthur change his mind.

Having heard a ruckus Arthur made his way to the window, looking out to see a crowd standing at the gate.

"What's happening, Kiku? Why is everyone crowding around the gate?" Arthur asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Kiku turned to face him, walking over to him and looking out the window.

"Has Alfred or Sechelles told you about the detective?" Arthur shook his head. The wankers! Holding out on information.

Arthur gritted his teeth in anger. "They failed to mention that."

"A famous detective from the city had heard of the strange occurrences here and decided to investigate. He made an official announcement that was broadcast on television stating that he was going to solve the mystery within one week," Kiku explained. Arthur gaped at him. One week? Arthur had been trying to solve the murder for a few weeks and had gotten nowhere and now this big shot detective was going to solve it in a week?! For some reason, Arthur grew angry. He had taken it upon himself to try to solve the murder and now some _yankee_ was going to take all the glory for himself.

Arthur deliberated for a minute and then he knew what to do. He hated the idea of asking the pervert for a favor but it seemed to him that he had no choice. After all, Francis was a genius when it came to sabotage. Arthur searched through his belongings and found his cellphone.

Kiku frowned slightly. He did not like the mischievous look Arthur had on his face. "Arthur-san? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Kiku," Arthur said, going through his contacts on his cell phone until he had found the one he was looking for and called it. He waited through the ringing, muttering to himself about what could be taking the frog so long to pick up.

"Bonjour, Arthur. It is a strange day when the great Arthur Kirkland calls moi. What can I do for you? Are you taking me up on my offer to-"

"NO! Listen, have you heard of the detective coming in town?" Arthur asked urgently.

"Oui oui, mon ami. Who hasn't?"

Arthur gritted his teeth but continued, "I was hoping that you could help in a certain endeavor."

"Oh, sounds interesting. I'm listening."

-------------------------------------------------

Alfred had spent the whole time fidgeting once he had left Arthur in his room. He felt a great urge to run back and watch over him because heroes did that kind of thing, right? However, he had suppressed with every ounce of will power he had in his body.

He decided to see his other friends. Hey, he had other friends. Plenty of them. He just couldn't really think of one at the moment. But any minute now, it'll come to him. He thought of Matthew but he knew that Francis was probably harassing him. Francis had marked Matthew as his next target. Alfred didn't know whether to be angry or amused by the idea. And Francis, to be frank, reminded him of Arthur, so that idea was no good.

He thought of Kiku. Kiku was his friend but he was also Arthur's roommate. Maybe Yao? Then again, Ivan had taken to hanging out with Yao and Ivan scared Alfred…most of the time. He didn't have the courage to face him, at least not without Arthur.

Alfred sighed. He was back at square one. Who else did he like to bother? He liked bothering Ludwig but lately the man had been giving withering stares ever since he had played that prank on him. It was harmless. He didn't really see why Ludwig was so mad about it.

After long consideration, Alfred had decided to spend time with Matthew. They rarely spent time together, despite being brothers. Sure, he would have to deal with Francis but anything was better than being alone with his thoughts. Alfred was never really good at thinking. He always left that to Arthur. Arthur was _very_ good at thinking.

Alfred had to think for a moment, trying to remember what his brother liked to do. Eat pancakes? Really, Alfred had no clue. Matthew liked to eat, didn't he? Who didn't? With that thought, Alfred suddenly became aware of how hungry he was and decided that the cafeteria would be a good place to go.

On his way there, he saw Arthur and Francis hiding in some bushes. Wait a minute, Arthur? He was supposed to be resting. It was a hero's duty to make sure that his maiden in distress healed properly. He walked over them and joined them in their hiding.

"What are we doing?" Alfred asked. Both Francis and Arthur jumped, startled.

"Blast it, Alfred! What do you think you're doing giving me a fright like that? One day, Alfred F. Jones, I swear you will be the death of me. You and the blasted frog!" Alfred smiled. At least Arthur was back to his old self.

"You didn't answer my question. What are _we_ doing?"

"Not _we_. It's just us. Francis and I have some important business to attend to," Arthur said, his voice filled with authority.

"Really? So important that you have to hide in the bushes to do it?" Alfred smirked while he said this, believing that Arthur had no choice but to tell him the truth.

"Touché, Alfred. What do you say to that, Arthur?" Francis asked, interested in how Arthur was going to explain his way out of this one. Arthur had never been much of a liar. It would certainly be entertaining to see what he came up with.

"I-uh- we were just…FINE! If you must know, we are here to sabotage the detective's efforts on solving the case." Alfred was confused.

"I thought you wanted the murder to be solved," Alfred asked, scratching his head.

"Yes, well I did that was until this bloody upstart had wanted to have a go at it. This is my case and I'm not just going to let anyone steal it from me," Arthur spat.

"But isn't-" Francis shook his head, having already tried to reason with Arthur but had failed. Alfred frowned. Arthur was a difficult one, that was for sure and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Count me in," Alfred said with a grin. "So what's our first mission?"

------------------------------

The detective, Barry H. Wilson, had heard from numerous accounts of what had been called the "Academy" case, a series of unexplained events surrounding the school and the town it resided in. Detective Wilson had always taken an interest in the unexplained and mysterious, it had been a hobby of his to "hunt" for ghosts in abandoned houses when he was a child. He had outgrown the hobby and had decided to solve real mysteries instead of looking for something that most believed didn't exist.

He had taken up the "Academy" case because of the air of mystery it had to it. That and also because it had been moved to the Cold Cases department and no one would touch the case because of it. Detective Wilson liked challenges and had solved quite a few cold cases himself. This case, he felt, would be no different than the others. He would solve it and justice would be served. It was all in a day's work.

Detective Wilson decided to start at the murder scene. The principal had informed him that they had tried to keep the murder scene intact but due to the strange weather they were having, both the blood and the message on the wall had been washed away. Detective Wilson frowned. It was going to be much more challenging than he thought. No matter, he was good at what he did and he had always liked a challenge.

He decided to survey the damage left by the fire. He suspected the murder and fire were related even if the firefighters had stated that the fire was caused by a gas leak. He believed that the murderer had caused the fire as well. It was a possibility that the two events weren't connected but Detective Wilson trusted his gut and his gut told him it was hungry and that there was something fishy about the fire.

Detective Wilson stood outside the damaged mathematics building, eyeing over the damage. The damage, he had to admit, was consistent with the firefighters' account. He frowned, something about it seemed off to him but he couldn't pinpoint what.

Detective Wilson was startled by the sprinklers turning on and dousing him with water. He stepped out of the grass and decided to head to his next location.

By the time sunset approached it seemed to Detective Wilson that he wasn't wanted in Little Flats. The people themselves were friendly and had promised to do whatever they could to help but strange events have occurred throughout the day. When he went to interview the first victim's family, he had almost fallen into a deep pit. While he was interviewing the local butcher, a swarm of mice had emerged from nowhere and he was forced to end his interview short. On his way to the sheriff's office, he was pooped on by a bird (named Pierre) and had somehow landed in a large pile of what he hoped was mud. It stunk but he lied to himself anyway. By the time he had reached the sheriff's office, he was exhausted.

"Does this sort of thing happen everyday, Sheriff?" Detective Wilson asked, taking a seat and making himself as comfortable as he could.

"No, in fact, it doesn't. It must be Arthur and Francis up to their old tricks again," the sheriff had said calmly. Detective Wilson had almost choked on the coffee he was drinking.

"Come again?"

"Arthur Kirkland and Francis Bonnefoy are students at the Academy. They do this sort of thing to scare off unwanted people," the sheriff explained.

"And I'm unwanted?" Detective Wilson could see no reason as to why he would be unwanted.

"To Arthur, yes. He's sort of become our unofficial major. He takes care of the Academy and volunteers at the Major's office. He's a good kid. Lots of heart and gut. He watches over the place like a hawk. He must have felt threatened by you and that's why you were…targeted. Francis is Arthur's companion and a slippery fellow. Always gets what he wants when he uses his charm. Good kid nonetheless," the sheriff said nonchalantly, as if Detective Wilson's predicament did not bother him in the least.

The sheriff saw the look on the other man's face and sighed. "I'll let you talk to him. Explain to him that you're only staying for the case and that you won't be coming back. That should satisfy him. After that he won't bother you anymore."

"And is this the same Arthur who was injured in the fire?" Detective Wilson asked.

"One and the same," the sheriff replied.

"And do you think…that's the Arthur that was mentioned in the message," Detective Wilson asked, choosing his words carefully. The sheriff seemed to hold a lot of respect for the kid. He didn't want to offend him.

The sheriff cocked his head at the question. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was," was all he said as he headed over to the window and opened it.

"Arthur, the detective wishes to say something to you. Now you be a good boy and come listen to him."

A curse was heard from outside. "How did you know I was here?"

"I told you. There's nothing in this town that I don't know about," the sheriff said with a wink.

"And Detective," he turned to look at Detective Wilson, "you meet me at the pier in an hour. There's something I must show you. I think you'll like it." With that said, the sheriff walked out the room and shut the door behind him.

Detective Wilson was left to stare at the open window where a head emerged. This, he assumed, must have been Arthur Kirkland. He had expected the boy to be a lot older but no matter.

"Now, why is it that someone like you would dislike my presence here? Hmm?"

Arthur crossed his arms and scowled. "You might ruin things for me, for everyone," he replied.

"Now Arthur, I promise to solve the case and that's it. I won't bother anyone else after I finish, I promise," Detective Wilson said, smiling gently at Arthur. If he ever had a son, Detective Wilson imagined him to be somewhat like Arthur. Arthur arched an eyebrow and looked Detective Wilson over. He nodded to himself.

"I suppose you'll do that is until I have recovered. Everyone, but myself of course, is completely incompetent. The chances of you solving something like this are slim. But seeing as my current efforts haven't deterred you, I will allow you this chance for you to try. After all, it is unlikely that you'll succeed. The clues that you discover will help me solve this is something that I feel that I must tell you," Arthur said stoically.

"Yes?" Detective Wilson was curious as to what Arthur would say. It also intrigued him that Arthur had been the only student to suffer major injuries in the fire. He felt that Arthur was involved in this case somehow, he just didn't know in what way yet.

"To be frank, I myself have been trying to solve the case but to no avail. Perhaps I am not experienced enough to figure these sort of things out but I feel…that perhaps the cause of all these strange events isn't something normal. I do not wish for you to get hurt so I wish you the best of luck and do be careful," Arthur said.

Detective Wilson had wanted to ask Arthur more about his suspicions but Arthur was already gone. He sighed. This would probably be one of the more difficult cases he's had to solve up to date.

---------------------

Detective Wilson went to meet the Sheriff at Coral Beach pier in the proposed hour. The beach was quite beautiful and surprisingly clean of debris and trash unlike most American beaches. It was a school day, so most of the students were at school and most of the residents were at work, leaving the beach almost empty of life.

He spotted the sheriff at the shore, staring into the sun. Detective Wilson made his way towards him, his gut telling him that there was something very wrong. The sheriff was unmoving and made no sign that he had noticed the detective's approach. Once he had reached him, Detective Wilson placed a hand on the sheriff's shoulder only for the sheriff to collapse to the ground.

"Sheriff?" Detective Wilson asked, concerned. He turned the sheriff on his back and gasped at the sight. The sheriff's neck had been slit, so deeply that he could see bone and flesh. Blood poured out the wound, like a fountain, his eyes open and unblinking. Detective Wilson knew that it was too late to save him and carefully placed his body on the ground and closed his eyes.

He reached into his pocket, searching for his cell phone and then turned when he heard a loud splash. He searched the water with his eyes, trying to locate the source of the splash.

A hand reached out from the water, grabbing the man's ankle and knocking him off his feet. The movement had been so fast that Detective Wilson didn't have any time to react. He was dragged underwater, further and deeper into the ocean until Detective Wilson could no longer see the sandy white beach. He had tried to get a good look at the person gripping his ankle but saw nothing there. It was almost as if the water itself was dragging him. But he could still feel something gripping his ankle tightly. Detective Wilson tried reaching for his gun but it proved more difficult than planned with the water's pressure. He used all the willpower he had and released his gun from its hoister and gripped it tightly. He took aim at where he thought the entity was and pulled the trigger. Ink-colored liquid poured out from seemingly nowhere. The ink-like substance blinded Detective Wilson and took him by surprise. He dropped his gun and now resorted to kicking whatever was dragging him. Unfortunately, the entity was strong and continued to grip his ankle tightly.

Detective Wilson's kicks had decreased in force as more time passed. He was running out of oxygen. That was when he knew that this was it for him, the end of the road. If only, he thought, he could have solved this one last case. With that last thought, Detective Wilson willed himself to be dragged deep into the ocean.

And then Detective Wilson was no more.

-----------------------

Alfred had made a rather strong argument, and by strong Arthur meant that he had whined and complained until finally both Francis and Arthur had gotten tired of it and had given in to Alfred's whims. They were in Alfred's rather elaborate car (it really was a nice car Arthur had to admit) and were returning from the city after having eaten some McDonalds. There were no McDonalds in Little Flats, nor any other fast-food restaurants for that matter, something that Arthur was very glad of. In order for them to go to McDonalds, they would have to go into the city to look for one. And that was what they did. Alfred had been giddy with glee the whole while.

Alfred had driven them into the city and was driving them back, even though Arthur had said he wouldn't mind driving. Arthur had feared for his life when Alfred had rejected the idea, insisting that since it was _his_ car he would be the one to drive it. Alfred's driving skills, he had come to realize, were absolutely dreadful. Arthur had never seen such reckless driving. He had hoped that Alfred would concede to his offer but was not surprised that he did. Alfred was Alfred, after all, with all his arrogance and stubbornness.

Arthur had decided to sit in the back this time, no matter how squashed the back seats were. This way, if Alfred had managed to crash into something, he could have at least some chance of survival. It was unfortunate that Francis had also chosen to sit beside him in the backseat. He had a hard time trying to get Francis to BLOODY stop looking at his crouch. For once in his life, Arthur had wished he had visual porn to distract Francis with.

The car ride back would've been silent were it not for Alfred's blabbing about some ridiculous story and Arthur's cursing and Francis's flirting and not so subtle sexual hints. By the time they had reached the dorms, Arthur was about to club Francis on the head using Alfred's head.

It had almost seemed to Arthur as if life was returning to normalcy. Alfred was being an idiot, Francis a perverted flirt and Arthur, his usual cynical self. And there had been no mention of his injuries throughout the whole trip. Arthur, for one, was glad. At least, there would be no one fussing over his injuries. Francis and Alfred were like mother hens when they were worried, clumsy, extremely uncoordinated and annoying. They meant well but usually ended up making things worse. Once when Arthur had a cold, Alfred and Francis had tried to make him better and Arthur ended up drinking all sorts of strange concoctions and was sleep-deprived for weeks. It was better that they not worry over him.

Alfred had insisted on walking Arthur to his room and Arthur complied while Francis had run off to molest Matthew. Arthur had only agreed to Alfred's request in order to shut him up. They walked in silence, both consumed in their own thoughts. Alfred was thinking about asking Arthur to go with him to the festival and trying to figure out whether that would be a "date." He planned to ask Francis later. Arthur was also thinking about the festival but he was thinking about all the paperwork he was yet to finish. Arthur sighed, admitting that he would never be able to catch up. Two hospital visits in one year had made him fall behind and now he couldn't possibly catch up.

When they had reached Arthur's room, they had both stood in silence waiting for the other to speak first. "Well, I must be getting ready for bed now. I need my rest if I am to attend classes tomorrow."

Alfred looked skeptical. "Classes? You're not seriously thinking of going to class already, are you?" Alfred asked, concerned. Arthur groaned, there it was again, that idiotic I'm-the-hero-so-I'm-going-to-do-whatever-I-want-to-protect-you look.

"Yes, I cannot afford to fall further behind in my school work. I'm behind enough as it is," Arthur said stubbornly.

Alfred shook his head in disapproval. "Well, if you insist. Say, Arthur, I'd….like to ask you something," Alfred said, not looking at Arthur in the eye.

"What is it, Alfred. I'm listening," Arthur said, staring Alfred head on.

"Uh on second thought, I'll see later. Bye!" with that said, Alfred sprinted into the opposite direction and was out of sight within a second. Arthur stared into the empty space, puzzled. What was that all about? Arthur could never understand what was going on in the boy's mind.

He reached into his pocket and searched for his key and upon finding it unlocked the door. He removed his coat and opened the closet door. As he was looking through his closet for a coat hanger, he felt something wet. He frowned and tried to find the source of it and gasped when he found it. A wet clammy dead body was crammed into his closet. Arthur backed away as far as he could, trying to figure out how on earth a corpse was stuffed into his closet. Whatever propped the body up had been loosen and as a result it fell on its stomach, right in front of Arthur's feet.

Arthur was getting more horrified by the second. He used his foot to turn the body around and found himself staring into brown unseeing eyes. Whatever terror Arthur had before, it increased tenfold once he saw who it was. It was the dead body of Detective Wilson.

----------------------------------------

Told you he wasn't going to be in it for long.

Comments anyone?

updates are going to be less frequent now. I will try to update as soon as possible though.


	6. Ch 6 Of Festivals and Fun

Ch 6 Of Festivals and Fun

Arthur had been in almost a catatonic state when more detectives and police had arrived from the city. Many people, some detectives and lower ranking police officers, asked him numerous questions but all Arthur had done was collapse on his bed and stare at the dead body.

Two bodies, he had seen two bodies in a span of two months and it was two corpses too many. Arthur was horrified, knowing full well the implications of Detective Wilson's death. The murderer knew Detective Wilson was investigating, he must have stumped in too deep and as a result he was eliminated. And it also served as a warning to Arthur, to keep his nose out of other people's business. When Detective Wilson had come to town, he had reluctantly decided to let him handle it. Now with the detective dead and his body in his room, Arthur was wondering whether it was worth it. Whether he was willing to risk his own life to find the murderer and put a stop to him.

It hit Arthur then that he really was the murderer's intended victim. That he _had_ to find the murderer. Otherwise…he would be killed perhaps more violently than Evan and Detective Wilson.

Arthur continued to ponder the recent events, ignoring the police's questions until Alfred entered the room. Many detectives and the forensic team had tried to stop him from coming in but Alfred was both strong and insistent and forced his way in. There was nothing in the whole entire world that could stop Alfred from coming to Arthur.

Alfred placed his hands on each of Arthur's shoulder and rubbed gently.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked gently, his breath sending shivers down Arthur's spine.

Arthur blinked as his eyes focused on Alfred's worried but still smiling face. Arthur tried to smile in return but found that he couldn't. It was too painful. He knew that it was a possibility that he might not even get to graduate or even…Arthur sighed. There were so many things that he had wanted to do but he had always focused on schoolwork. Arthur forced his thoughts back and tried thinking of pleasanter things before answering Alfred.

"I am fine, Alfred. Really, there is no need to worry about me. Stop treating me as if I was an invalid," Arthur huffed, hoping that Alfred wouldn't see through his act. Alfred seemed satisfied and smiled.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am perfectly certain," Arthur said, trying to keep the quiver from his voice and maintaining his composure. Alfred didn't need to know about how worried he was. It was his problem and he would be the one to deal with it.

It had taken Arthur a whole week to really recover the ordeal with the detective but as far as everyone knew, he was back to his old self. Only Kiku could note the small differences in Arthur's behavior and had thought it best not to ask Arthur about what was troubling him. Arthur had taken to focusing on the festival activities, which had been one week away and had somehow time had passed by so fast, that it was now only a few hours away. Arthur was relieved in a way. The festival was a constant source of stress for him and once it was out of the way, he would be able to relax a bit more.

He was finishing some last minute paperwork when Sechelles and Elizabeta had walked into his office. They walked up to Arthur's desk and had stood in front of it while Arthur continued his paperwork and chose to ignore them. He had work to do, whatever they wanted could wait till later.

"Ahem," Sechelles said, clearing her throat as a way to get Arthur's attention.

"Yes?" Arthur said continuing with his paperwork, he was almost done, just one page away from completion.

Sechelles and Elizabeta nodded to each other, agreeing that now was the right time. Elizabeta brought out some clothes that she had previously hidden behind her back. Arthur arched his eyebrow in question. He failed to understand what they wanted of him and decided to voice said confusion.

"And what are these for, may I ask?" Arthur asked tersely, tired and irritated from being interrupted.

"I know, at least from what Francis has told me, that you always spent exactly one hour in the festival and then go off somewhere doing god knows what. I thought that this year should be different. So we went through the trouble to get you these," Sechelles said pointing to the clothes Elizabeta was holding in her arms.

Arthur looked up from his work and glanced briefly to said clothing. He scowled and returned to work. "No thank you. Those clothing will simply not do. They are too improper for such an occasion. Thank you for your efforts but I must decline." Sechelles and Elizabeta nodded at each other, knowing that something like this would happen.

"Well, if there's nothing we can _say_ that can convince you then I must be going. There's much to do," Sechelles said, winking at Elizabeta as she left, closing the door behind her.

Arthur and Elizabeta were left on their own, Arthur finishing his paperwork and Elizabeta looking at Arthur with an almost evil glint in her eyes.

"What is it, Elizabeta? Can't you see that I'm busy?" Arthur barked irritated.

"Oh, you'll see." Arthur did not like the sound of that.

------------------------------

Arthur rubbed his head and groaned as he tried to sit up. He scratched his head, trying to remember what had happened. His head ached, that was for sure. He gripped the edge of his desk and lifted himself off the floor.

Arthur tried to think back, trying to figure out when he had ended up on the floor. Elizabeta and Sechelles had come into his office with some ridiculous request that he were to wear some ridiculous outfit they had procured for him. Sechelles had left and left him alone with…And Elizabeta had knocked him on the head with some kitchen appliance, a frying pan if he wasn't mistaken. And during that time she must have …stripped him of his clothes and gone. Arthur blushed at the thought.

Arthur sighed, looking for his missing clothes and only finding the clothes Elizabeta and Sechelles had suggested he wear. He had half a mind to go out in his current state but decided against it, it would be unbecoming of him. He looked at the clothes in distaste and put them on as quickly as he could, wanting to give both Elizabeta and Sechelles a piece of his mind.

He slammed the door open and hurried towards the festival, where no doubt both Sechelles and Elizabeta had headed off too. He needed to hurry if he was to catch them. He walked as brusquely as he could, the damn boots more uncomfortable than he thought they'd be, getting strange looks from everyone around him. He knew it would have been worse if had hadn't left the hat behind. Elizabeta had also left him a strange hat, which he decided was far too ludicrous for such an occasion. He was a gentleman after all and gentlemen must be presentable at all times.

Arthur gritted his teeth in anger and frustration, searching the crowds for the two girls. He stopped at the booth Francis was in charge of and gaped in horror. A kissing booth?! That frog was going to die a painful and long death as soon as he found him.

He walked through the people who are lining up, getting both angry and surprised responses. He walked up to the student manning the booth and slammed his hand on the counter.

"Where is Francis?" Arthur managed to say through gritted teeth. The student looked up and then bowed his head in fear and surprise.

"What are you looking at, you bloody wanker?" Arthur seethed. Then he remembered that he was wearing the ridiculous outfit that Elizabeta had left in his office when she had stolen his clothes. Still, he didn't let that deter him from his current task, which was to make the frog pay.

"Just tell me where the frog is and I will promise that I will not hurt you. Now."

The student gulped. "He's over there," he said pointing to the small space between two buildings. Arthur trotted over there and saw Francis talking to someone else. He made his way, stomping his boats as he did which alerted Francis of Arthur's presence. Francis and his comrade turned, both gaping at Arthur. 'It really wasn't _that_ bad,' Arthur thought to himself.

"You. Leave," Arthur said , pointing to Francis's comrade. The student mumbled some sort of farewell to Francis and left. Francis stared at Arthur, mesmerized by what he was wearing. Francis thought that Arthur looked rather…distinguished if not attractive. Not that he didn't think Arthur wasn't normally attractive. In fact, Francis had liked Arthur for quite a while now. He had tried to gather up the courage to ask Arthur out but never really found the right time. Arthur was always busy or talking to someone and Francis had wanted to make it something special. Sure, he was a flirt but that didn't mean he couldn't be serious especially when it came to someone special.

Arthur noticed Francis staring at him as if he was a piece of meat on sale. "Pay attention to me, you frog! I never let you authorize a kissing booth! I let you get away with not having an idea planned ahead of time but doesn't mean that you get to do whatever you please! I demand that you dismantle this booth this insta-"

Lips on his own interrupted Arthur, his eyes widened in shock. He didn't know whether this was a confession or just Francis being lustful as always. They did have a tryst a while back, but it was short lived. Arthur had thought that door was closed and its key buried but apparently, it wasn't so.

Arthur pushed Francis gently, looking at his feet while he did. "Look, Francis, I'm not sure how it is you feel but I-"

"HOW COULD YOU?!" a distressed voice yelled out. Arthur and Francis turned and found a teary eyed Sechelles staring at them. Upon seeing Francis staring at her, Sechelles ran off.

"Angelique! Wait! It's not what it looks like!" Arthur yelled, running after her.

Francis sighed. It looked like Arthur didn't return his feelings. He stared sadly at Arthur's retreating figure until he was no longer distinguishable from the crowd.

If anything, Francis was a romantic fellow and an optimistic one at that. He knew that finding love was sometimes like fighting a war. Sometimes you lost battles and sometimes you won. But he knew better than to give up. He would find love. It was only a matter of time.

A soft cough interrupted Francis's thoughts. He turned around and saw Matthew looking sympathetically towards him, hugging that stuffed bear of his that seemed permanently glued to his arms. Matthew walked towards Francis, his face displaying his worry and concern.

"I saw what happened. Are you alright, Francis?" Matthew asked, his amethyst eyes glowing. Francis smiled and ruffled Matthew's hair. Perhaps he wouldn't have to search after all.

"It's alright, Matthew. I'm fine. I just realized that Arthur was just old flame. Things could never really work out between us, anyways," Francis said, wrapping his arm around Matthew's shoulders, which caused Matthew to blush.

"I'm glad," Matthew whispered softly, so softly that Francis had to strain to hear. He smiled once again, this time his smile genuine.

---------------------------

Arthur had tried to catch up to Sechelles but she ran faster than he had anticipated. That and it was harder to run through crowds of people. The Festival was held in the Sun court, an area located outside the cafeteria, meant for students to eat and socialize. When the festival came, the area was covered with booths and people lining up to them.

He kept getting stares from people as he ran. Arthur ignored them, focusing on Sechelles's retreating figure. When he saw that he was losing sight of her, he sped up. A minute later he had finally caught up to Sechelles and held her fiercely by the shoulders ensuring that she wouldn't escape.

Sechelles turned her face away from Arthur, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes. She didn't know something as simple as a kiss could hurt so much. She desperately tried to keep the tears from flowing down her cheeks but failed. She tried to think of what a bastard Arthur was, tried to make herself angry. She failed at that as well and settled for burying her face in Arthur's shoulder and pounding her fists into his chest.

Arthur jumped at the movement and awkwardly wrapped one arm around her and patted her head with the other.

"It's alright, Angelique. It really wasn't what it looked like. The frog was just…being his perverted disgusting self. The kiss meant nothing-"

"He's not a pervert! Stop talking ill of him all the time! Just 'cause you don't approve of what he does, it doesn't make him a bad person. Francis is kind and nice and…" The rest of her speech was lost when she buried her face further into Arthur's shoulder. Arthur was surprised when Sechelles had jumped to defend Francis. He had thought that everyone considered him a perverted, good-for-nothing wanker but apparently he was mistaken. He knew Francis had his good points but they were usually lost in Francis's perverted ploys.

Arthur's face softened as he rubbed small circles into Sechelles's back, trying to soothe her. Arthur sighed. This day was not going as he planned.

--------------------

Alfred had looked for Arthur for at least two whole minutes and had not found him. He was growing frustrated. Two minutes was a lot in Alfred's world. He tried going to separate booths and asking them whether they had seen Arthur. When he encountered the kissing booth, Francis had told him that Arthur had run off somewhere, but he didn't specify why or where. Alfred grew suspicious. Where would Arthur be running off to?

After getting away from the festival, he had finally found him. Alfred was about to call out to him when he saw whom Arthur was with someone and was doing something. Alfred felt his heart sink into his chest. He gripped at his chest. It hurt, so much. He tried pushing his sadness back but found that he couldn't. He had tried to deny his strong feelings for Arthur, but every time something like this happened, he would get jealous and it always hurt. Alfred found himself admitting, to himself anyway, that he liked Arthur Kirkland more than just a friend.

After a moment, Alfred knew what to do. He made his way to Arthur and stood in front of him, facing him.

Arthur blinked for a moment. "Alfred?" he asked hesitantly, surprised at both Alfred's appearance and apparent anger. Alfred was not the type to be angered easily, seeing him like this was strange.

"We need to talk. Now," Alfred said sternly. Arthur found that he could not deny the request but he felt that he couldn't leave Sechelles in such a state.

When Alfred saw that Arthur wasn't moving, he grabbed Arthur's arm and held on to it. Alfred pried Sechelles out of Arthur's embrace. Sechelles looked up at Alfred, tears running down her face and surprise evident on her face.

"I would never take what is yours so I would appreciate it if you didn't take what is mine," Alfred said to Sechelles, who nodded in return, understanding his request. Arthur, on the other hand, was completely oblivious as to what they were talking about. Chewing gum, perhaps? A sacred Big Mac having been stolen? He honestly had no idea as to what would get Alfred so serious or what it had to with Sechelles at all.

"Al-"

"Quiet, Arthur. Just come with me," Alfred commanded, tugging on Arthur's arm forcefully. Arthur found himself being half-dragged to the gym.

"Where are we going, Alfred? You're acting rather ludicrous. Stop dragging me, this instant. I am not some toy to be-"

"It's not ludicrous. Just don't say anything until we get there, ok?" Alfred asked gently, relaxing but not releasing his hold on Arthur's arm. Arthur just nodded, pondering about what Alfred wanted to tell him.

Alfred dragged Arthur outside the gym, kicking down the door and dragging him inside. Arthur gaped at the damaged door and was about to give Alfred a lecture about respecting school property but decided against it. Alfred did not seem to be in a good mood. In fact, he seemed almost homicidal.

Alfred stopped when they had reached the pool and turned to face Arthur face-to-face, releasing his grip on Arthur's arm as he did so. Arthur winced as Alfred released his arm. Alfred had quite a grip. He knew there would be bruises.

Arthur opened his mouth to speak but Alfred signaled with his finger to be quiet. Alfred moved closer and Arthur stepped back, keeping his distance. Alfred seemed to be in a dangerous mood and Arthur felt it was better to keep his distance. Alfred frowned at the move and moved closer once more. Arthur moved back until he was backed into the edge of the floor and lost his footing, falling backwards into the pool.

Alfred gaped, threw off his bomber jacket and jumped in after Arthur. Arthur, who had swimming lessons when he was young, was perfectly capable of keeping himself afloat and thought it was unnecessary for Alfred to jump in after him. Alfred and his stupid hero complex. Alfred swam towards Arthur and wrapped his arms around him as if to protect him from the dangers of chlorine pool water.

"You ok, iggy?" Alfred asked, his seriousness replaced by concern. Arthur liked this side better. Somehow a serious Alfred had scared him.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself! I do not need you to come galloping to my rescue. Not that I need rescuing, might I add," Arthur huffed, crossing his arms.

Instead of laughing like Arthur expected him to, Alfred looked concerned. "You got hurt, Arthur. Really bad. Can you really blame me for overreacting?" Alfred asked, concerned.

Arthur sighed. "I suppose it would be unfair of me. Can we get out now?" Arthur asked, thinking of his ruined boots. At least he hadn't paid for them but he still liked them.

Alfred laughed. "Sure, here let me help you out," Alfred said, gently gripping Arthur's arm and helping him out.

"Now, what is that you wanted to tell me?" Arthur asked, his curiosity finally resurfacing,

Alfred blushed for a moment and then turned to look at Arthur straight in the eye. "I like you," Alfred said, placing a kiss on Arthur's forehead.

"A lot." Another kiss but this one was on his left cheek.

"I've liked you for a while now." A kiss to Arthur's right cheek this time.

"I hope that you don't mind," Alfred said gently, resting his forehead on Arthur's own. He leaned down and placed a kiss, a peck really, on Arthur's lips. It was a gentle kiss, not forceful but asking for permission. Arthur found himself closing his eyes and returning the kiss. Arthur kissed Alfred forcefully, demanding more passionate kisses from him and Alfred gladly complied.

Alfred's arms wrapped themselves around Arthur's waist, one hand making its way under Arthur's shirt and up his back. Arthur arched his back, gasping. Alfred froze when he felt the raw texture of Arthur's half healed skin and backed away, his eyes wide. He had forgotten for a moment about the fire and Arthur's injuries, and mentally cursed himself. Alfred knew that Arthur was injured and felt that he should have treated him more carefully.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I really am," Alfred whispered softly, one hand going to Arthur's face, stroking his cheek.

"It's fine, Alfred. We all make mistakes. Don't worry yourself about it," Arthur said with a hiss as he sat upright.

"Do you need help?" Alfred asked, concerned. He wondered why he always ended up screwing things up. Arthur would probably never kiss him again.

"I said I was fine, Alfred. The water just irritated my skin. I'll be fine once I apply the proper ointment and change the bandages." Alfred had forgotten how serious Arthur's injuries were. Arthur never really complained about it, nor did he ever mention them at all. Alfred always forgot how vulnerable Arthur really was.

"Alfred, really, I'm fine. Stop looking at me like that," Arthur snapped.

"Like what?"

"Like an injured puppy." Alfred laughed, Did he really look like that?

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think you look really sexy in those clothes. Especially when they're wet," Alfred grinned. Arthur went beat red, blushing up to his ears from embarrassment. He had forgotten all about the ridiculous clothes he was wearing.

"You should dress like that more often," Alfred leered, thoroughly enjoying the look on Arthur's face.

"Stop that! And stop looking at me like that! You're almost as bad as Francis!" Arthur scowled, his temper having returned. Alfred just smiled.

"Do you want to spend the rest of the day with me, Arthur Kirkland?" Alfred teased, taking Arthur's hand in his own and rubbing his thumb against Arthur's hand. Arthur barely noticed the touch.

"I do have to scold Francis for setting up that kissing booth. But if that's what you want, I can't really refuse. After all, who knows what kind of trouble you'd get into if I weren't there to help you out? And you did damage school property. I'm afraid I can't leave you on your own," Arthur said rather haughtily. Alfred just grinned. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"Woo-hoo, mes amis! What have you been up to when I was gone? Nothing too scandalous I hope," Francis said as he made his way inside the gym, with Matthew at his heels, still holding tightly to his bear.

"FROG! I'll have you know that I am not at all pleased by what you have done today. You caused mischief and discord among the student body and who's going to get the blame? ME! Really, Francis, I know you're selfish but really, your selfishness has gone too far this time!" Arthur seethed, his fists tightly clenched. Francis just waved Arthur off.

"Well, then, someone else's mischief will surely get your trousers in a bunch, Come see, mon ami. It really is quite magnifique!" Francis winked at Arthur and left. Matthew made his way to Alfred.

"Are you alright, Alfred? You looked upset earlier," Matthew said softly.

"Huh? What? Oh that. I'm fine now, Mattie. Don't worry about it!" Alfred grinned widely. Matthew noticed that Alfred seemed happier than usual but decided not to question Alfred about it now. It most likely concerned Arthur and if Alfred wanted to tell him, he would. Matthew wondered when Alfred's life started to revolve around Arthur. Things were a lot different before.

"Matthew, do you know what Francis was going on about?" Arthur asked seriously, wondering what it could be.

Matthew motioned for him to follow him. "It's better if you take a look outside."

Arthur and Alfred followed Matthew outside and saw a dark sky filled with bright stars. Arthur admired their beauty for a moment, scanning the skies before turning to Matthew.

"I don't see-"

Fireworks erupted overhead. Many different colors illuminated the sky, painting it with different shapes and patterns. Arthur gaped at the scene, feeling a warm hand grip his own. Arthur turned and saw Alfred standing next to him, grinning happily before turning back to look at the sky. Arthur felt at peace and wished that it would always be like this.

-----------------------------

I know! A filler! Legasp! At least people kissed right? ;D

Link to Artie's outfit. I couldn't really describe in words and give it justice so I just decided not to mention it. .

.

Updates: I have 4 midterms and two essays in the next three weeks so updates are probably going to be slow. I will try my hardest to post one chapter a week.

Reviews keep me going and make me happy so please review. (they also motivate me to write faster 8D)

RE-EDIT: Link to Arthur's outfit is now available on my user info so that those without accounts can still see.


	7. Ch 7 Of Fevers and Strangers

Ch 7 Of Fevers and Strangers

Fevers are one of the worst of medical maladies. Especially when your back was burned in a fire, and the skin has only half-healed since then. Arthur could be very introverted at times. He rarely told anyone what was truly bothering him but he never felt the need to hide his irritation. Alfred and Francis and well pretty much everyone irritated Arthur in some way or another. And he knew that he couldn't hide this from them, he felt too horrible.

Kiku was awakened by Arthur's groans in the middle of the night (or was it early morning?). Arthur had trouble sleeping ever since he had returned from the hospital. Kiku had originally moved out after they had found Detective Wilson's body, the room no longer retaining its homey atmosphere since then. Kiku had returned, at Arthur's request, to help him tend to his wounds. It seemed that Arthur did not trust anyone but him to do an adequate job. Kiku had accepted, knowing that the request had been hard for Arthur. Arthur rarely asked for help.

Kiku rubbed his eyes, hoping to will the drowsiness away. "Arthur-san, are you alright?"

"I'm sorry if I woke you, Kiku. My back is just bothering me. I didn't mean to wake you. Please go back to sleep," Arthur said groggily.

Kiku made his way to Arthur's bed and placed his hand on Arthur's forehead. Arthur tried swatting it away but Kiku was determined. Kiku frowned. Arthur felt slightly feverish. "Arthur, you have a slight fever. Please stop moving. I will get you some ibuprofen and a glass of water right away."

Kiku went through his drawers, trying to locate the painkillers. Once he found them, he went through the small refrigerator they had in their room and procured a water bottle. He found one of Arthur's teacups and poured the water in. He carefully made his way to Arthur and had almost succeeded in getting the water to Arthur when there was a loud shout, loud shouts to be more precise. The noise startled Kiku and made him spill the contents of the teacup.

Kiku frowned. Who could that be? He opened the door to see who it was and saw Ludwig and Feliciano walking towards him. Kiku had forgotten that they had all agreed to do something together today. What that something was Kiku didn't know. Feliciano was the one who suggested it and both Ludwig and Kiku had agreed. Feliciano had failed to specify what they were going to do together.

"Hello Ludwig-san. Hello Feliciano-san. I know that we agreed to go out today but Arthur-san is sick-"

"Arthur is sick?!" Feliciano said with a worried expression on his face. Kiku was not surprised at being interrupted. Feliciano did this often. Ludwig gently shoved Feliciano, giving him a look that was meant to scold. Feliciano did not understand and just smiled back.

"Yes, he is. I am helping take care of him. Now if you will please excuse m-"

"Eh? But you promised! You promised! You promised! Ludwig, he promised!" Feliciano whined, jumping up and down with each protest. Ludwig rubbed his temples. It was going to be a long day.

"If you _have_ to take care of Arthur I will understand, Kiku. And I will try to get Feliciano to understand as well," Ludwig said over Feliciano's continuing whines. Kiku nodded in appreciation and went back inside his room, gently closing the door behind him. He refilled the teacup and handed Arthur the painkillers and water.

"Here Arthur-san. This should help you feel better." Arthur sat up and gulped down the pills and went back to bed, pulling the covers over his head.

"Can you call the attendance office and tell them I'm staying in today? Thank you, Kiku. I appreciate it," Arthur said hoarsely, his voice tired and sleepy. Kiku sighed. Arthur had been through a lot. He deserved to rest.

"It's Saturday. There is no school today," said Kiku, wetting a towel and placing it on Arthur's forehead. Arthur shuffled around, protesting at Kiku's attempts to take care of him.

"Can you make up some excuse for me if that bloody frog and Alfred come looking for me? Anything will do." Kiku knew that Arthur should not lie and avoid his friends but understood his feelings. Arthur did not want to worry them. Kiku knew the feeling. He never wanted to worry Arthur or Feliciano. "Of course."

Kiku heard distant buzzing and tried to locate the sound. He found the source to be Arthur's cell phone. He had received…127 text messages in what seemed to be the last hour. Most of them were from Francis and Alfred. A few were from Sechelles and Matthew. Kiku wondered whether Arthur would mind if he read a few of them. Reading the ones from Alfred was particularly tempting. Kiku thought that reading one wouldn't hurt…much. He opened one from Francis.

From: Francis Bonnefoy

Sent: 06:48

Subject: [no subject]

Arthur~! What is wrong with you, mon ami? I had to hear from Matthew about the steamy moment between you and Alfred! I need to know these things! Are you still angry with me for the kissing booth? It was harmless fun. You need to loosen up, Arthur. Me and a bunch of us are going to the city today, do you want to come? Unless you prefer to stay with Alfred and do a certain something? Text me, mon amour.

Kiku blushed at the message and decided that reading one more wouldn't hurt.

From: Alfred F. Jones

Sent: 07:57

Subject: HI!

Um, hey Arthur, are you like mad at me or something? You haven't really responded to any of my calls or texts. I've left like 10 already. Francis told me about the rendezvous later. Are you coming? Let me know.

Kiku had thought that now would be a good time to stop. Otherwise he would never be able to put the phone off. He went back to check on Arthur's temperature and found no change yet. Kiku sighed.

Kiku heard more loud noises outside. He walked to the door and opened it to find the hall filled with people. The first person he saw was Alfred, who shoved his way towards the door.

"Hey, Kiku, what's up with Arthur? He hasn't responded to any of my texts. Is he sick? Is he ok? Kiku? Kiku? Say something," Alfred said rapidly, not letting Kiku get a word in.

"Arthur is resting. He is simply exhausted by yesterday's activities," Kiku lied, hoping it would satisfy Alfred's overbearing curiosity and concern. Alfred frowned.

"That can't be right. Iggy is always fine. Just let me in, Kiku-"

"NO! Do not let him in, Kiku," Arthur said, pushing against the door, trying to get Alfred to stay outside.

"Arthur-san, you really shouldn't be up. You should be resting. Go back to sleep and I will take care-"

"IGGY! Hey, why haven't you responded to my messages? You always respond to my messages even if it's just to say 'Sod off, git' or something. Let me in, will you-"

"No, I will not let you in, you bloody prat. Now stop-"

"Arthur, ma cherie! Why are you not coming out to greet your big brother, Francis? Hmm, Arthur? Now don't be rude-"

"Belt up, frog. Now all you gits, leave me alone. Kiku, close the door-"

"You can't, Kiku. Arthur, I'm the hero so I have to come in and make sure that you're alright," Alfred interrupted, pushing the door open and forcing his way in, knocking both Kiku and Arthur to the ground. Alfred frowned once he made his way and found them on the floor.

"What are you guys doing?" Alfred asked, puzzled. Arthur groaned, his face red.

Alfred placed his hand on Arthur's forehead and tsked at him. "Really Arthur, you always get in trouble when I'm not around. But it's ok! I'm the hero and I'm going to protect you! You are my damsel-in-distress, after all," Alfred grinned, giving Arthur a thumbs up.

" I am NOT your damsel-in-distress or your anything for that matter! Stop with this ridiculous hero business of yours. You're not really a hero and you're not a child so stop acting like one. And stop-" Arthur was interrupted when Kiku placed his hand over Arthur's mouth, effectively silencing him. "You must not say such things, Arthur-san. You will hurt Alfred-san's feelings," Kiku whispered in Arthur's ear. Once Arthur shrugged in acceptance, Kiku removed his hand. Meanwhile, Alfred seemed completely unfazed by Arthur's speech. He was used to Arthur ranting like that, although, the part about being nothing to Arthur stung a bit. He had hoped that since they had…kissed, things would be better between them. Then again, it wasn't like they really established anything. After all, he had heard from Matthew that Francis had kissed Arthur as well. Alfred sighed inwardly. Arthur was so difficult to understand sometimes, he rarely honestly stated his feelings for others.

Alfred grinned widely. "I'll get some medicine for you. I don't mind," Alfred said, winking at Arthur.

"I do not need your help," Arthur fumed, his fists clenched in silent fury. He gave Kiku a look, suggesting that he politely make Alfred go away. Kiku nodded. "Alfred-san, Arthur needs his rest. Perhaps you can visit him later when he is feeling better," Kiku suggested.

Alfred shook his head, still smiling. "No can do. A hero has got to do his duty. What kind of hero would I be if I left Arthur to suffer on his own?"

"I'll be fine. I cannot understand your reasons for fussing over me. It's just a slight fever, nothing to get concerned with. Now please leave. Now," Arthur said trying to push Alfred towards the door. Alfred stood his ground. Arthur tried harder to push him, but Alfred was far too heavy and Arthur did not have that kind of strength, especially now.

Arthur let himself go limp against Alfred's back. "Just let me rest, Alfred. Kiku is more than capable of taking care of me. Go enjoy yourself with Francis and the others. I'll be here when you return. You need to rescue other people anyways. You are the hero, after all," Arthur said softly, his fever taking a stronger hold on him. Alfred sighed in acceptance. He turned around and placed Arthur on his bed, wrapping Arthur in his blankets.

Alfred took one last look at Arthur before leaving and closing the door behind him.

--------------------

Arthur had been fitfully sleeping since Alfred left him. His fever had also gotten worse, making him almost delusional. Arthur could scarcely distinguish right from left and up from down. He had stayed in bed, like Kiku had instructed. Kiku had left on his own for a bit, to get some stronger medicine from the local pharmacy. He had said that he would return as quickly as he could.

After his third disturbing dream, Arthur had gotten up. He kept dreaming of Evan and Detective Wilson and of their vacant, open, lifeless eyes. Those eyes haunted him. They kept reminding him of how he was next. He briefly wondered how painful his death would be. Arthur shook his head fiercely, trying to shake the thoughts out. He groaned and sat up, searching for his teacup.

As he scanned the room, his eyes came across a dark, wet figure, staring straight at him. It was the student. The one he saw outside the mathematics building right before it went up in flames. Arthur stared at him, stupefied. The student smiled gently at him, and walked past him and through the door and vanished without a trace.

Arthur jumped up from his bed and searched his room for the student. After looking everywhere in his room, he opened the door and glanced outside, still no sign of the student. Arthur shut the door, wondering where the student had gone and how he had disappeared into thin air.

He was about to go back to bed when he heard a sharp click coming from the window. Arthur turned and headed to the window. He opened the drapes and glanced outside. He saw the student waving at him, motioning with his hand to come down.

Arthur blinked in disbelief before rushing to get his shoes on and slamming the door open. He ran down the stairs and rushed to the spot where he saw the student. He was still standing there, and seemed startled by Arthur's presence. The student motioned with his hands to not get too close. Arthur understood and stayed where he was.

Arthur was at a loss as to what to ask. There were plenty of things that he wanted to know but he was sure of what to ask first. He decided to start with the most obvious one. "Who are you?" The student shook his head, pointing at his throat. So he couldn't speak.

"Do you know anything about what has been happening?" The student nodded. Good, he was finally getting somewhere.

"Can you tell me about what you know? I'll get some paper and pencil…" Arthur drifted off as he saw the student shaking his head. Arthur wondered what could prevent the student from telling him. Was it fear? Fear of being attacked for revealing information? Or was it something different entirely?

"I saw you, when the fire started. Were you responsible for it? For starting the fire?" Arthur asked with anticipation. This was it. The big one, the one question that could, perhaps, lead to some answers.

The student instead frowned and turned his back on Arthur, walking away from him.

"Wait! Come back! Answer me!" Arthur yelled as he ran towards the mysterious student.

----------------------------

Throughout the whole outing and adventure in the city, Alfred had been thinking about Arthur. He just couldn't understand why he felt so…anxious. Ever since he had left Arthur, he kept feeling as though there was something wrong. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Alfred had been so pensive that even McDonalds couldn't bring him out of his thoughts. Matthew noticed this and gently nudged his brother in the shoulder.

"Alfred, are you alright?" Matthew asked softly, sitting next to Alfred, clutching his bear closer to his chest. Alfred turned and faced Matthew, a confused look on his face. "I'm fine. It's just that I have this nagging feeling that something's wrong. I can't help it," Alfred said, lowering his head and staring at his lap. Matthew patted Alfred's back in sympathy.

"It's understandable for you to be worried, Alfred, after all that's happened. You should get Arthur something, to cheer him up," Matthew suggested, getting up and leaving to sit next to Francis. Alfred eyed them for a moment before returning to his thoughts. How did Matthew know that it was Arthur that he was worried about? Sometimes Matthew knew him a little too well.

Matthew's idea about getting Arthur a present didn't sound too bad. Once they had all left McDonalds, they had parted ways to explore shops, agreeing to rendezvous in two hours. Alfred followed Matthew and Francis. Francis respectively looked both pleased and slightly irritated. Alfred didn't approve of Francis trying to get his claws on Matthew but he respected Matthew enough, but just barely, to let him make his own decisions. That didn't stop Alfred from keeping a close eye on them though. He watched Francis like a hawk, eyeing his every movement, making sure that Francis didn't do anything too inappropriate.

It was in a pawnshop that Alfred had finally found something decent to buy Arthur. It was an antique Victorian pocket watch. It was small and in good condition. Alfred fingered it reverently, tracing his thumb over the intricate floral designs on the cover. Alfred grinned, deciding that this was perfect for Arthur. He loved old things like this. Alfred made his way to the counter and purchased the pocket watch, buying a nice case and chain to go along with it.

They had gone to other shops and an hour later arrived at the place they had all agreed to rendezvous, just in time to escape the light rain. Alfred headed to his car with Francis and Matthew at his heels. Alfred was eager to return back to the Academy, to show his gift to Arthur. He was keen on seeing the expression on Arthur's face when he gave him his present.

After getting through light traffic, they had returned to Little Flats. Alfred willed himself to slow down after both Matthew and Francis had yelled at him. He drove at the speed limit, which he thought was far too slow.

Alfred blinked when he saw Kiku walking in the street. He pulled his car next to the sidewalk. "Hey Kiku, what are you doing here?"

Kiku looked up, surprised to see Alfred. "I was buying some medicine for Arthur," Kiku explained, lifting the bag he held in his hand.

"Hop on in, I'll give you a lift to the dorms," Alfred said, motioning with his hand for Kiku to get in. Kiku nodded in appreciation and stepped inside the car, sitting next to Francis in the backseat. Alfred drove them to the dorms, managing to find a good parking spot near the handicapped section. Alfred gave Matthew a look of annoyance before opening his door and getting out. Matthew shook his head, wondering when Alfred would get over it. Once Matthew had gotten injured playing hockey and was given a handicapped sign to place in his car. When he recovered and the sign had expired, Alfred had asked him to get a new one. Matthew refused and Alfred held a small grudge ever since.

Once Kiku had gotten out of the vehicle he had noticed the bag Alfred had in his hand. "What is that, Alfred-san?" Kiku asked, eyeing the bag.

"Oh, it's a little something I got for Arthur. I thought it might cheer him up," Alfred said happily, placing a protective hand on Matthew's shoulder once he saw Francis get too close.

It was on the way up the stairs that the strange feeling that Alfred had earlier returned. Alfred frowned, his heart beating faster in his chest. He tried to calm himself down, knowing that he was just exaggerating. Everything was fine. Once he was in Arthur's room he would see Arthur, safe and sound, sleeping on his bed.

On reaching the final step, he saw something that confirmed his fears. The door, the one to the room Arthur and Kiku shared, was wide open. Alfred ran towards it, looking inside finding Arthur's bed empty.

----------------

"Wait! Come back! Answer me!"

Arthur ran as fast as he could in the cold wet floor. It was raining? He hadn't noticed, too preoccupied with the student.

The student kept walking, Arthur's cries falling on deaf ears. If he wouldn't listen to him, he would stop him, physically. Arthur took large strides and had finally managed to reach the student and tried to grip his shoulder. The student was surprisingly solid. Arthur had almost expected him to be a ghost, the way he disappeared.

The student was startled by the touch and scowled, his face contorting in fury. The irises of his eyes, which had been a hazel brown, turned a lucid yellow color, the white sclera darkening into a deep black. His face transformed in shape, darkening and becoming more animalistic with every second, the teeth growing larger and sharper. His hands became gnarled and clawed; his nose became a large snout. As his face and hands changed shape, the student's body enlarged and his uniform ripped, revealing dark rough skin.

Arthur just stood there, rooted to the ground, an expression of horror on his face. The former student fixed his gaze at Arthur and let out a long howl. Arthur took this as his sign to run.

------------------------

Alfred gaped in surprise and horror when he saw the empty room, his worst fears confirmed, letting his gift to Arthur fall to the ground. He was so shocked that he didn't even hear Matthew, Francis and Kiku come up the stairs. Matthew saw the look on Alfred's face and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Alfred?"

"Arthur's gone. He's not here," Alfred said as he searched the room. He was about to give up when he looked out the window and saw Arthur outside in the rain. Alfred ran out the room, leaving Matthew, Kiku and Francis all confused in his wake.

He ran down the steps and then rushed to the spot he saw Arthur.

------------------

Arthur had tried to run but had slipped and fallen, his head hitting the stone floor. Arthur tried to get up but found that he couldn't. His vision grew dimmer and all he saw was the dark figure approaching him.

-------------------

Alfred had hoped that he wasn't too late. He saw Arthur pass out on the floor, the rain drenching his clothes and making it stick to his skin. Alfred took his leather bomber jacket and wrapped it around Arthur. He picked Arthur up and carried him away bridal style, all the while wondering what it was that Arthur was running from.

Alfred took Arthur to his room and placed him gently on the bed, wrapping him in his blankets. Alfred took Arthur's hand in his own and stroked his palm. He looked up at Kiku angrily.

"You were supposed to stay with him. You said that you would," Alfred nearly shouted, his voice conveying his anger. Kiku bowed his head in remorse. "I am sorry, Alfred-san. I had no idea that Arthur would think of going out-"

"You were supposed to stay with him and you didn't!" This time Alfred did yell. Matthew looked at his brother and Kiku in concern. "Alfred, please, calm down," Matthew said, pleading, his hand on Alfred's shoulder trying to soothe him.

"Don't take his side, Matthew! Arthur could have been attacked and we wouldn't have even known!"

"Oh, so when you're displeased with me it's 'Matthew,' but when I'm agreeing with you its 'Mattie.' And is Arthur everything you think about? I mean, I know you love him but-"

"I don't…love him," Alfred faltered, his statement lacking conviction. He really wasn't sure if what he felt for Arthur was love. After all, he had never loved anyone before.

"Yes, you do. Lately, your whole life has revolved around Arthur. When Arthur was angry at you, all you talked about was how much of a big jerk he was. And now, all you think about is him. You're always worrying about him or wondering what he's doing and what he's thinking about. You're acting like a schoolgirl, Alfred. And you're taking this way out of proportion. Arthur's ok now, isn't he? And that's all that should matter," Matthew said fiercely, his pent up anger finally been unleashed.

Alfred shook his head in denial. "Still, he shouldn't have left Arthur alone. Especially since we all know that the killer's after him," Alfred said calmly, not even trying to disprove any of Matthew's claims. Matthew was better at words than he was and Matthew would have won anyways. Matthew was probably one of the few people who knew how to make Alfred back off.

Matthew sighed in relief. Alfred could get quite violent when he was angry, something that he had inherited from their father. Matthew felt that one of Alfred's violent fits was the last thing they needed now. Francis rubbed Matthew's shoulder in sympathy, trying to soothe him. Matthew smiled at Francis in appreciation.

Kiku was grateful to Matthew for coming to his defense and relieved when Alfred seemed to calm down. "Alfred-san, Matthew-san, Francis-san, if you don't mind leaving. I need to change Arthur's clothes," Kiku said softly, almost afraid that his voice might provoke Alfred somehow. However, Alfred just nodded in reply.

"Kiku, if you don't mind, I'd like to take care of Arthur for a bit. I've caused enough trouble and I need to make things right," Alfred said stoically, his eyes focused on Arthur's sleeping form.

"It is fine, Alfred-san." Kiku, Francis and Matthew made their way to the door.

"Kiku?"

"Yes, Alfred-san?" Kiku asked, stopping his progress to the door. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was just worried…about Arthur. I just don't want anything bad to happen to him." Kiku nodded in understanding.

"I understand," Kiku said kindly as he headed at the door, behind Francis and Matthew. Kiku closed the door behind him, leaving Alfred alone to tend to Arthur.

Alfred started with Arthur's wet pajama top. He unbuttoned it carefully, taking care not to brush Arthur's back. Once his shirt was removed, Alfred then removed the bandages wrapped around Arthur's torso. He carefully removed them and set them aside. Alfred flipped Arthur on his stomach, applying some ointment on his burnt wounds. They weren't as bad as he had thought they were. The new skin was a strange color though and very sensitive. He wrapped some new clean bandages around Arthur's torso, making sure that they weren't too tight.

Alfred proceeded to get a new shirt and put it on him. Alfred had to admit that taking care of Arthur wasn't what he had thought it'd be. And now came the hardest part. Alfred removed Arthur's pants, blushing the whole time. He knew Arthur would kill him once he woke up. He had gotten through his pants. All he needed to do now was remove his…Alfred gulped. He removed the garment as quickly as he could and replaced it with a clean one, sighing once his task was done. Alfred found some clean pants and tried, with some difficulty, to put Arthur's leg through them. After a good five minutes, Alfred had finished dressing Arthur. He wrapped all the blankets he could find on him. He dried off Arthur's hair using a towel.

Once he was finished, he took Arthur's temperature. It seemed to have gone down slightly and he showed no sign of catching a cold.

After a good half-hour had passed, Arthur showed signs of waking. He opened his eyes slowly, letting his eyes get adjusted to the light. He blinked twice before he saw Alfred asleep in a chair next to his bed, one hand clutching Arthur's hand. Arthur blushed at the action but did nothing to remove Alfred's hand. Instead, he stroked Alfred's hair softly. Alfred was quite pleasant when he was asleep, not the usual annoying git that he was.

Arthur continued until he felt Alfred stir. Arthur stared at Alfred as he stirred. Alfred blinked a few times before registering where he was. He yawned. "How are you feeling, Arthur?" he asked, smiling with that stupid grin of his.

"As fine as one could be with a fever," Arthur said, irritably.

Alfred chuckled. "Glad to hear. I was worried about you, you know," Alfred said, good-naturedly. Alfred seemed to be in a good mood.

Something was troubling Arthur and he felt that maybe only Alfred would be able to answer his question. "Alfred, you saw me earlier, when I was outside. Am I correct?" Arthur asked seriously. Alfred noticed this and turned more somber. "Yeah, I did."

"Tell me, did you happen to see anyone with me?" Arthur clenched his fists in anticipation.

"No, you were alone. Why do you ask?" Alfred seemed concerned for him.

"It's nothing, Alfred. Don't worry about it." It was worse than Arthur expected.

-------------------------

Thoughts and concerns, anyone?

Updates: I'm not as busy as I thought I'd be so that means you guys don't have to wait so long.

Thanks for everyone who faved and commented. Really appreciate it.


	8. Ch 8 Of Beaches and Attacks

Ch 8 Of Beaches and Attacks

Arthur's fever had broken within a few hours after Alfred had gone home. Arthur had tried to compose himself and reveal none of his concerns to Alfred. Once Alfred was gone, however, he let himself think about the student. Had everything he had seen been real? Or was it his fever playing tricks with his mind? Alfred didn't seem to see him. And at the day of the fire, Sechelles hadn't noticed him either. This made Arthur worry about his sanity. Had all of this been a figment of his imagination? He hoped not. He had enough problems to deal with. He did not need something else on his plate.

The next week had gone by without incident. Life almost returned to normalcy for everyone. Well, everyone except Arthur. Arthur tried to keep his mind off it but found that he couldn't. Things were looking dire and he was nowhere close to solving anything, not even when he knew his life depended on it.

The stress was starting to get to Arthur. And it showed. Francis and Matthew took notice of it (Alfred was not as observant as they were and did not notice Arthur acting any different) and proceeded to tell Alfred. Alfred grew concerned then worried. Being the hero that he was, Alfred decided to get Arthur to relax. He needed a short vacation, he decided.

"Hey, Arthur," Alfred exclaimed loudly, slamming his hands on top of Arthur's paperwork. Arthur looked up, slightly irritated that he was being disturbed.

"What is it, Alfred? I am incredibly busy and don't have time to deal with your idiocy," Arthur spat irritably. His temper had a taken a turn to the worse the past couple of days. Alfred was unperturbed and continued to smile.

"You need a vacation, Arthur. And we're going to the Diamond Beach!" Alfred cheered.

"Isn't Diamond Beach an hour away? Why on earth would you want to go there? We have a beach just ten minutes away from here," Arthur asked, puzzled.

"Come on, Iggy. The beach hasn't been the same since…you know. Besides, you're really stressed. You need to relax," Alfred said, going behind Arthur's chair and placing his hands on his shoulder, massaging the tense muscles. Arthur stiffened at the touch. He disliked being touched by others. Alfred ignored Arthur's sudden stiffness and continued his actions.

"Come on, Arthur. You need to take a break and doesn't the warm beach sound so much tempting than this cold town," Alfred whispered into Arthur's ear, making Arthur much more uncomfortable than before. Alfred's hands continued to massage Arthur's shoulder while Alfred rubbed his cheek against Arthur. Arthur felt himself blush scarlet red. What in the world was Alfred doing?

"Alfred-"

"Shh." Alfred continued his attack on Arthur's shoulder, his massage having little effect on them. Arthur felt like a rabbit, trapped, awaiting its fate. Alfred got the hint and stopped his massage and wrapped his arms around Arthur.

"Art-"

"Bonjour, mes amis! I come baring gifts. Oh, what is it we have here?" Francis smirked seeing the seemingly compromising position the two were in. Alfred and Arthur jumped away from each other.

Arthur coughed. "Alfred here was just telling me that I should consider taking a small break from school," Arthur explained tersely. Francis raised an eyebrow in mock surprise.

"Non! Really? So where are we going?"

"_We're_ not going anywhere. I am not taking a break and that is final," Arthur said stubbornly. Arthur and Francis looked at each other and nodded. Arthur had a bad feeling about this.

---------------

Arthur was unceremoniously dragged to Alfred's car and held against his will. Alfred had told him it was for his own good. Francis and Matthew sat on either side of Arthur in the backseat, ensuring that he wouldn't escape. Sechelles made herself comfortable next to Alfred while Arthur muttered to himself about who had invited her.

Word got around the school and people (mostly those in Francis and Alfred's inner circle of friends) started to invite themselves on the small road trip to Diamond Beach. Gilbert had hitched a ride with his brother, Ludwig. Feliciano had made himself comfortable riding with Ludwig and had brought Kiku with him. Elizabeta and Roderich went together along with Antonio and Lovino. Arthur had groaned to himself when he found out but he felt that he had no choice but to bear with it…until he came up with a plan to get back to school.

Arthur drowsed off during the car ride. He had a most disturbing disorientating dream. He woke up to find Matthew looking at him worriedly. "Are you alright, Arthur?"

"I'm fine," Arthur reassured Matthew. Matthew appeared to think otherwise but said nothing.

"Are we getting close to our destination, Alfred?" Arthur asked groggily, rubbing his eyes.

"Uh, I think so," Alfred replied, his eyes on the road.

Arthur sat up straight in his seat. "What do you mean 'I think so'? Do you even know where Diamond Beach is?" Arthur asked irately.

"Um…"

"You idiot. Why didn't you look up the bloody directions before we left?" Arthur seethed. "You always do this. You never plan ahead. One of these-"

"I wanted to be spontaneous, Iggy. Relax, I know what I'm doing," Alfred said, concentrating on driving. Matthew smiled encouragingly, letting Arthur feel more at ease. Well, as much ease as he could be when he was held against his will.

Arthur let his mind drift. He was interrupted by Matthew shaking his shoulder, a sign indicating that they had arrived. Arthur willed himself to try to remain …civil, at least toward Matthew. He would gladly tear Francis and Alfred into pieces.

Arthur groaned when he saw everyone was already there. They had probably had the decency to have directions at hand. Arthur rubbed his temples, feeling a migraine forming. He jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. "Hey, you ok, Arthur?" Alfred asked, smiling that stupid idiotic grin of his.

"I'm fine, you bloody git," Arthur scowled.

"Good. Here, I got you some clothes so that you can change into. Can't afford to have your fancy clothes getting wet," Alfred said, winking at him. Arthur blushed and hoped that the clothes Alfred provided for him were at least decent.

Arthur went into a dressing area and changed into the clothes, feeling his temper rising. That boy was going to die as soon he saw him again. He felt every single patriotic bone in his body screaming in protest. Alfred had given him a large t-shirt with the words 'Being an American Rocks' written across it. He had given him some swimming trunks as well, with red and white stripes and white stars on it.

Arthur stomped all the way back to Alfred.

"Hey, do you like it? I thought you would," Alfred grinned.

"YOU!" Arthur was about to lunge at Alfred until Matthew and Francis managed to stop him. Alfred grinned in pleasure.

"Arthur, please. We came here to relax. Can you let it go just this once?" Matthew suggested kindly. Arthur gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. He could never tell Matthew 'no' and Alfred knew that and had used it against him.

Things could not get any worse. Then Alfred pulled out a surfboard from out of nowhere. It just appeared.

It wasn't that Arthur disliked the beach, or swimming or surfing. It was just that he preferred to do those things of his own free volition, preferably not in the middle of the school year.

"And what are you planning to do with that?" Arthur asked, his arms crossed, trying to cover the words on his shirt.

"I'm going to surf with it, of course! What else would I do with it?" Alfred said as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Do you want me to teach you?" Alfred asked, cocking his head to the side in amusement. Arthur laughed at the idea. Before he could tell Alfred 'no', Alfred had grabbed his arm and dragged him to the shore. Arthur cursed at Alfred to let him go but Alfred continued walking.

"It'll be fun. You'll see," Alfred grinned. Arthur groaned, knowing that once Alfred was determined, he wouldn't listen to reason. As soon as they were at the water's edge, Alfred let Arthur go. Alfred took a deep sniff of the ocean air.

"Isn't this nice? I can finally breathe," Alfred said, closing his eyes, letting himself truly enjoy the ocean breeze. Arthur looked at Alfred, watching the emotions displayed on his face. Alfred was so carefree. Arthur wished that he could be like that, have no care in the world.

"Ok, we better get started," Alfred said, lifting his shirt over his head and taking it off. Arthur blanched in horror. "W-what do you think you're doing?"

"It's hot," Alfred explained. Arthur hoped that his blush could be taken as sunburn. Stupid bloody American and his stupid ego.

"Hey, you're all red. You ok, Iggy?" Alfred asked, grinning.

"I'm fine!" Arthur sputtered, his blush deepening. Alfred wrapped his arm around Arthur's shoulder. "It'll be fine. I promise. I am the hero, after all," he whispered.

"Let's just get this over it with," Arthur said crossly. Alfred clapped his back. "Good."

Alfred placed the board in the water. "We'll take this one step at a time, ok?"

"Alright, just don't treat me like a bloody child. I can take care of myself, Alfred," Arthur seethed. Alfred nodded at him and placed his hands on Arthur's shoulder, gently guiding him to the board.

"Monkey or knee?" Alfred asked.

Arthur stubbed his toe on a rock. "Excuse me?" He hoped he heard correctly.

"Monkey or knee method, I meant. They're the methods on how to stand on the board," Alfred explained.

"Knee, I suppose. I am most certainly not a monkey."

"Ok, first get the board flat on the water. Get to your knees on the board. Then you pull one foot out and plant it out at the center of the board. Then push up on your foot into a standing position," Alfred said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Arthur stared blankly at Alfred.

"You really don't expect me to remember to do all that?"

"Oh, did I go too fast?"

"Yes!" Arthur said, indignant, his arms crossed. Alfred laughed. "Ok, then, we'll take this one step at a time." Alfred placed his hands on Arthur's waist. "First get the board flat on the water. Check. Now, get on your knees on the board," Alfred said while guiding Arthur to the board and getting him to his knees.

"Good. Now, you pull one foot out and plant it out at the center of the board." Alfred placed one hand on Arthur's right calf and the other on his thigh and guided his leg through the motion and placed it in the appropriate position.

"Now, you push up on your foot into a standing position." Alfred guided Arthur's other leg up and gripped his ankles. "See, not so hard, right?" Alfred grinned at him. Arthur mumbled curses under his breath about how it wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be.

"Ok, now let's go in a little deeper and you'll try it on your own, ok? Don't worry. I'll be here to catch you if you fall," Alfred reassured Arthur. Not that Arthur needed any reassuring. He was practically an adult. He could take care of himself.

Alfred pushed the board (and Arthur with it) deeper into the ocean. Arthur gripped the board tightly, as if his life depended on it.

"Hey, it's not too deep. It's just three feet. Don't worry, ok? I wouldn't leave you on your own if you weren't ready. I'll be here," Alfred said, squeezing Arthur's shoulder reassuringly.

"You better not let me fall, you git," Arthur said through gritted teeth. Alfred laughed and nodded. He slowly let go of Arthur and urged Arthur on. Arthur gulped and tried to remember what Alfred told him. Knees. Foot. Push. Arthur pulled out one foot and placed it on the center of the board, just like Alfred had done earlier. Arthur then pushed on his foot into a standing position. He was a little off-balanced at first, as he adjusted his weight the board stopped wobbling. He was finally able to stand securely on the board.

"I-I did it!" Arthur cheered, about to jump up and down when he remembered where he was and settled for a small grin. Alfred laughed and grinned widely, thinking about how handsome Arthur looked when he smiled. "You did, Iggy."

"Not Iggy, you bloody tosser," Arthur scolded, scowling. Alfred just shrugged his shoulders, enjoying the smile while it had lasted.

"Now get on your knees again and use your arms to paddle deeper. Then try it again," Alfred said loudly, making sure that Arthur heard him.

"I can hear you fine, Alfred. There's no need to yell." Arthur did as Alfred told and got to his knees, paddling deeper. It was a little more intimidating while he was in deeper water but Arthur didn't let that stop him.

Arthur was about to pull out his foot when he heard a splash. He scanned the waters once and saw nothing. He looked back to see Alfred smiling at him and shouting words of encouragement. Arthur turned his head to face the ocean and almost jumped up, startled by what he saw at the edge of the board. Two large, claw-like hands gripped the board. Large yellow eyes stared back at him with a cynical glint. The dark entity smiled, almost maniacally, at him. Arthur's eyes widened in shock and horror.

The entity used one hand grapping Arthur ankle and the other to grip the board fiercely. The entity pulled Arthur (along with the surfboard) into the water and dragged deeper into the ocean. Arthur kicked with all his might, trying to ignore the creature's taunts and laughs. Arthur tried grabbing onto whatever he could find but couldn't find anything to hold onto. The creature laughed at Arthur's futile attempts to escape. Arthur kicked furiously, using all his strength. At last, he knew that he wasn't going to escape so he gathered all his strength. And with all his might, gave one last kick. The creature's grip loosened but not enough to shake loose his hold.

Arthur started to lose consciousness and wondered what would become of the school with his death. And with that, Arthur closed his eyes and let go.

------------------

One moment Arthur was there and the next he was being sucked into the water. Alfred's first reaction was disbelief and then horror.

"ARTHUR!" He screamed as loud as he could, hoping that Arthur was ok. He just fell into the water. That was it. Arthur was going to jump up any minute now and yell at him for falling for such a cheap trick. And they would laugh together (Arthur would laugh at him and Alfred would laugh at himself) and Arthur would scold him for being an idiot like usual. That was it. Any minute now. He was going to come out. Alfred just had to wait and be patient. Any minute now.

After five minutes, Alfred scanned the waters for Arthur. He walked in deeper and looked. Once he saw that there was nothing above water, Alfred took a deep breath and went in the water. He opened his eyes and tried to see if he could find any sign of Arthur. Alfred scanned for as long as he could until his lungs demanded oxygen and he went up to get more air. He gasped for air. Once his breathing evened, Alfred took a deep breath, ready to go under again.

He heard a distant voice and turned to see it. Matthew was waving at him and motioning for him to come to the shore. Alfred groaned with slight annoyance and swam towards the shore.

Matthew had heard Alfred's yell and could feel his distressed mood. Although they weren't identical twins, Alfred and Matthew had always shared a special bond. Sometimes they could feel each other's emotions. But that rarely happened. In fact, it had only happened once in their lifetime. It was at their mother's funeral. Matthew had gotten intimidated by the crowd of people surrounding his mother's coffin and had run away. Alfred had claimed that he found his using their "twin telepathy" and could feel his brother's distress.

"Alfred, are you alright? What happened?" Matthew asked when Alfred was within hearing distance.

"I can't find Arthur. He disappeared. Help me look for him. He's got to be here somewhere," Alfred announced loudly, determination in his voice. His voice had been so loud as to get the attention and strange looks from the occasional passersby.

"We'll find him. Don't worry, Alfred. I'll get the others to help," Matthew said, running off to tell the others.

Ludwig had been patrolling the beach when he had seen something in the water from the corner of his eyes. From the distance, Ludwig really couldn't tell what it was. Then it occurred to him that it could be Arthur in the water. He rushed in and swam towards the object. With the closing distance, Ludwig could see that it was indeed a body but could not distinguish whether it was _Arthur's_ body. Upon reaching the body and flipping it over, Ludwig saw that it was indeed Arthur. His skin had a slight bluish tinge to it. His leg was covered in dark bruises. It was Arthur's arm that had suffered the worst though. It had been severely twisted and broken. Ludwig winced in sympathy, wrapping one arm around Arthur's waist while swimming back to the shore. Ludwig sighed in relief once he had reached the shore and had carefully placed Arthur's body on the warm soft sand.

Matthew had seen Ludwig and had run towards him. He gasped when he saw Arthur. How could anything or anyone do that to him? Matthew tried to keep himself calm and kept telling himself that it could be worse than it seemed.

"Is he al-alright?" Matthew asked, worried.

Ludwig didn't respond at first. His hand went to Arthur's neck to check his pulse. He frowned when he didn't feel anything. Arthur had been underwater for a few minutes. There was still a chance to resuscitate him.

"He's not breathing but I think there is still a chance to revive him," Ludwig said stoically. Ludwig leaned down, pinched Arthur's nose and was about to breathe into his mouth when he was fiercely shoved (rather rudely) away by an enraged Alfred.

"What are you doing?"

Ludwig pinched the bridge of his nose before replying. "There's no time for your heroics, Alfred. Arthur's not breathing. He can still be-"

"Not breathing? I'm the hero. I should be the one to do it," Alfred said, determined. Alfred had followed Ludwig's example and pinched Arthur's nose and started to breathe into Arthur's mouth.

"Matthew, can you tell everyone else we found Arthur and call an ambulance?" Matthew took one last look at Arthur, nodded and then left. Ludwig stayed with Alfred, in case he was needed. Alfred continued blowing into Arthur's mouth, not willing to give up.

Ludwig was about to tell Alfred to stop when Arthur started coughing. Arthur groaned and then gripped his injured arm and winced in pain. Arthur opened his eyes and took a look around him, confused. He tried to think back on what he had done all day. Alfred had dragged him to the beach. One look around confirmed that he was still at the beach. Alfred had tried to teach him how to surf and then…Arthur bit his lip, remembering what had happened afterwards. The creature- the one he had seen the mysterious student transform into a few days ago- had dragged him under, had tried to kill him.

Arthur sat up and tried to see his leg when he was wrapped in a fierce embrace. He groaned in pain. The embrace was pressing his injured arm. Alfred noticed this and loosened but did not release Arthur from his embrace.

"Alfred, please, it hurts," Arthur pleaded. Arthur felt Alfred shake his head.

"No. If you're with me then that means that nothing bad will happen to you because I'll protect you. I'm the hero, remember? And you're the damsel-in-distress so just keep quiet." Arthur groaned but said nothing. He was in too much pain to argue. He hoped that Alfred had at least called for an ambulance. The pain was increasing in intensity. Arthur took a glance at his leg and cursed. It was swollen and badly bruised. It would be at least a week until he could walk again. Arthur sighed and let himself relax in Alfred's embrace. He felt Alfred softly stroke his back.

"Arthur?"

"Yes, what is it, Alfred?" Arthur managed to murmur, his eyelids drooping.

"You're going to be alright," Alfred assured him as if Arthur was a small child needing consolation. Arthur nodded in response, much too tired and in too much pain to respond. Arthur felt himself falling asleep and would have fallen asleep were it not for a voice. Not just one voice, many voices.

"Arthur! What happened to you?" Sechelles asked, concerned. Arthur just groaned in response.

"Answer me, you idiot!" Was it just him or was Sechelles _crying_? Arthur shook the thought from his head. Sechelles wouldn't cry over him…would she?

"Why are you always getting yourself into these situations? Do you realize what you put me- I mean, what you put everyone through?" Sechelles added with a sniff. Francis put a hand on Sechelles shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"Elle va bien, mon cher. Tout ira bien. Vous allez voir," Francis said, reaching into his pocket and giving Sechelles a handkerchief, which she used to blow her nose. Sechelles nodded her head in appreciation. Francis gave her a weak smile in return.

It certainly wasn't that Arthur liked it when these things happened. They just happened. Arthur would have gladly made some sort of witty remark to Sechelles had he not been so weak. Instead, he let just buried his head further into Alfred's shoulder, trying to drown out the worried voices. Arthur felt a little terrible for making everyone worry over him (even Francis).

Arthur was roused from his thoughts by the sound of sirens. He was going to get up when Alfred stood up and carried him in his arms.

"It's fine, Iggy. I'll take care of you," Alfred said, smiling. His smile wasn't as strong and brilliant as it usually was, slightly tainted with worry, but it was still beautiful as always. Arthur would have normally struggled and cursed until he was released but he felt that being carried in such a humiliating way was alright considering the situation. Arthur let himself relax once more and closed his eyes. He hoped that when he opened them again, the images of the creature would fade from his mind and memory. He also hoped that he wasn't going insane because that would only complicate things.

While Arthur was being carried to the ambulance, the creature, (which had attacked him earlier,) watched silently from the safety of the ocean, plotting its next endeavor to destroy Arthur and all he loved. Its yellow eyes glinted with mischief as it submerged into the water, unobserved by all.

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A/N: sorry for the late update. I've been depressed on and off for the past two weeks so I really wasn't all that motivated to write.

Sequel: I was thinking of doing a sequel but I really want to know what you guys think. I have some ideas but they aren't fully developed yet. So if anyone wants to see something in the sequel, I'll be sure to try to incorporate it.

Updates: um, the next chapter should be up in a week or so unless something happens and makes me depressed then it might be posted later.

Uh, please review. .


	9. Ch 9 Of Fires and Truth

Ch 9 Of Fires and Truth

Arthur's trip to the hospital had been long and painful. Arthur had undergone surgery to get the bones in his arm in their natural position without further damaging his flesh. The doctors had placed his arm in a cast. After the surgery, Arthur had spent the rest of the day in complete drug induced bliss. The doctor had come in the next morning and prescribed him some pain medication. He had also said that Arthur was to come in every week for a checkup. The doctor had said that Arthur's arm had been severely injured and he wanted to make sure that it was healing properly. He had advised Arthur to use a sling and to keep his arm elevated. As for his leg, it had only been slightly bruised and he advised for Arthur to try to keep his weight off it. By this point, however, the swelling and pain had decreased immensely and Arthur felt perfectly capable of walking. Arthur was discharged one week later.

Arthur had called Francis to come pick him up. He knew that Alfred would just fuss over him. Well, Francis would fuss over him as well but Arthur felt more comfortable with knocking Francis unconscious when his teasing got to be too much. Arthur could never do that to Alfred. Not because he didn't want to, it was just that whenever he got physically close to Alfred, his face would turn red. It was better this way.

Arthur walked back and forth impatiently in front of the hospital, waiting for Francis to show up. Arthur sighed deeply when he saw a car approach, not just any car, a red convertible. Arthur knew that car.

The car pulled over next to him, the roof raised and the window slowly coming down.

"Hi Arthur. Francis said you needed to be picked up from the hospital. So here I am. Hop in," Alfred said warmly, the usual grin on his face. Arthur grudgingly made his way to the other side of the car, opened the door with his good arm and got inside.

The car ride back to the dorms had been silent. Alfred had tried to ask Arthur how it went but Arthur proved unresponsive. Eventually Alfred gave up and gave in to the silence. Arthur seemed quiet since his trip to the hospital. Alfred wondered whether he was upset.

"Hey Arthur, you ok? You seem quiet," Alfred said, parking the car in the parking lot and shutting off the engine. Alfred placed his arm around Arthur's shoulders, giving his shoulder a soft squeeze.

"It's nothing, Alfred. I'm fine. I'm just a little groggy from the medication they gave me," Arthur said, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Alfred chuckled and scolded himself for worrying. It wasn't like a hero to worry.

"OK, if you say so," Alfred said lightly, leaning his head on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur blushed but said nothing. Arthur coughed once and Alfred removed his arm. Alfred got out of the car and went over to Arthur's side and opened the door for him. Arthur was a little too groggy to scold Alfred for treating him like a child. He let Alfred lead him to his room.

"You rest, Iggy. I'll make sure that no one bothers you," Alfred grinned. Arthur rolled his eyes and shut the door on Alfred, too tired to even reply. Arthur had changed into his pajamas and got into bed, falling into a deep sleep.

------------------

It was a normal morning for Matthew. He woke up early, like he usually did on weekends, making sure that he didn't wake his brother. Alfred liked to sleep in most of the time. So much that Matthew had to set various alarms in order to get him to go to class during the week.

Matthew made pancakes for himself and coffee for Alfred. Even though it was a Sunday, Matthew had set an alarm for Alfred. Francis had said that Arthur needed to be picked up from the hospital later and had asked Alfred to do it. Matthew, at first, had not understood why Francis had asked Alfred to pick up Arthur when Arthur had specifically asked Francis to do it. Francis had explained that Arthur and Alfred needed to talk and the opportunity had presented itself. Matthew had gone along with Francis, partially because Francis had already told Alfred to go and partially because he wanted Alfred to confront Arthur. Alfred had told him about the kiss and how things really hadn't changed between him and Arthur. Matthew had felt both sorry and happy for his brother. Sorry because of the troubles Alfred's feeling had caused him and happy because of what it meant. Alfred liked someone and frankly, Matthew felt that Arthur made Alfred a better person. Alfred also had that effect on Arthur. Arthur smiled more often whenever Alfred was around (although Arthur tried to hide it).

The alarm Matthew had set up for Alfred went off, interrupting Matthew's thoughts. Matthew went up to see if Alfred was awake only to find his bed empty. There was a note on the disheveled bed addressed to Matthew.

Mattie,

Went to pick up Arthur. Not sure when I'll be back.

-Alfred

Matthew sighed and went to finish the remains of his brunch. The only thing that Matthew disliked about Alfred's feelings for Arthur was that it meant they would spend less time together. Alfred had spent more and more time with Arthur up to the point that all free time was spent with Arthur. Not that Matthew hated the time they spent together. He was happy for his brother. He really was! It was just that it also meant that they had not spent as much time together like they used to. Matthew didn't want them to grow distant. After all, they were the only family they had.

Matthew had eaten his brunch in silence with his bear. It wasn't a real bear but Matthew liked it nonetheless. It was a gift from his mother that he treasured, one that he carried mostly everywhere. On his first day of school, he had been made fun for it, that was until Alfred had stood up for him and threatened to beat them up. Matthew had been grateful then and now for having Alfred for a brother.

After Matthew had finished his brunch, washed his dishes and cleaned the kitchen a bit, he had gone to check if he had any messages on his phone. He sighed when he saw that there was nothing from Alfred, only ten text messages from Francis.

Matthew had gone up to check on his bear when he heard some loud cracking. He turned around and saw nothing and continued his way upstairs. He gathered his precious bear in his arms and frowned, the odor of burning wood getting stronger as more time progressed. It had also gotten almost unbearably hot all of a sudden. Matthew sniffed the air and found that it was hotter outside his room.

He headed towards the stairs to investigate and gasped at what he saw. The dining room and kitchen area had been engulfed in flames, cutting off any paths of escape. Matthew tried to keep himself calm, knowing that panicking wouldn't help him.

It was in those few moments that Matthew had been trying to calm himself that a figure emerged from the flames. Matthew couldn't distinguish what it was nor could he actually _see_ it, all he saw was a vague outline of something. It wassomething tall that stood on two legs. Matthew couldn't say what the figure was exactly but he knew one thing. That creature was no human.

The creature stared straight at Matthew, instilling fear into him. The creature laughed, the noise loud and almost painful to hear.

Matthew could only stand there, fear rooting him to the floor. The only thought in his head was the hope that his death would not be too painful.

------------------

Alfred had been driving back to his house, the radio at full blast, having a good time enjoying the wonderful morning breeze. He was in a good mood considering what had happened. He knew that he should be a little more worried about Arthur. After all, he had just been attacked and almost killed. But Alfred, being the hero that he was, didn't let that bother him. He had saved Arthur, hadn't he? Whatever the future had in store, Alfred was sure he could handle it.

Alfred had to slow down and stop the car when he had seen the block he lived on had been closed off. Police cars, ambulances and firefighters' trucks were everywhere. Alfred frowned, wondering what could have happened.

For a moment, Alfred froze. Could it be Matthew? Not even bothering to consider other possibilities, Alfred quickly exited the vehicle and ran towards the closed off area. Alfred tried to run towards the burning house but was held back by some police, telling him that he wasn't allowed to enter the area. Alfred stood back, reluctant to simply stand there and approached one of the firefighters. "Excuse me, did you find anyone who was in the house during the fire?" Alfred asked with bated breath.

"No, there was no sign of any people in there and we haven't located a body yet," the man replied, his voice gruff. Alfred thanked the man and went back to his car. Alfred wondered if he had simply overreacted. After all, Matthew could be somewhere else. Anxiously, Alfred called and texted everyone he knew. His calls had amounted to nothing. No one had seen or spoken to Matthew since last night. Alfred got into his car and searched the various locations that Matthew frequented. His search also amounted to nothing. Matthew was nowhere to be seen.

Alfred exhaled, trying to keep calm. He needed to think. Matthew wasn't at the house, no one had seen since yesterday, the firefighters had not found a body and he wasn't any place that Alfred looked. That didn't necessarily mean that Matthew was missing. Alfred was at a loss of what to do next. After thinking about it for a while he had come to a decision. He would ask the one person he knew would know what to do.

Alfred got inside his car and headed back to the school dormitories, hoping that Matthew could be found.

------------------

Arthur was awakened by loud knocking on the door. He groaned. He still felt exhausted even after all the hours he had slept. He willed himself to get out of bed, and opened the door to find Alfred outside. Arthur was about to tell the git to sod off but saw the expression on Alfred's face. He was smiling, like he usually was, but his smile seemed strained, almost pained somehow.

"Alfred, are you alright? You don't look like yourself." Arthur asked concerned, opening the door, letting Alfred in. Alfred nodded, the smile still plastered on his face. Arthur wasn't convinced but said nothing. All of a sudden Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur. Arthur grew worried. Had something happened?

"Alfred, what's wrong? What happened?" Arthur tried to ask calmly.

"It's Mattie. I can't find him. I've looked everywhere, called everyone and no one has seen him and the house…I need your help, Arthur. I can't do this by myself," Alfred said softly, with that half-hearted smile on his face.

"With you by my side, I'm sure I'll find him."

"Are you truly incapable of doing anything by yourself?" Arthur asked, voice brisk and stern. "We'll look for him and we'll find him. I promise, Alfred, we'll find him."

"Can you get off of me now?" Arthur suggested, his face scarlet with both embarrassment and rage. Alfred nodded grimly and looked away while Arthur changed into some clothes.

"Now, we'll need some help," Arthur said, looking for his phone and dialing Francis's number.

"Hey, Arthur, listen about what-"

"Not now, Alfred." Arthur didn't really want to hear what Alfred had to say right now. Arthur waited for Francis to pick up, making sure to keep Alfred outside his field of vision.

"Bonjour mon petit ami britannique. What is it that I can do for you?" Francis's voice sounded disgustingly smug and that irritated Arthur further. Arthur tried to massage his temple but then remembered the cast. He hated being injured. It was irritating, annoying and painful.

"Listen Frog, Matthew has gone missing. I do not know the exact details of what happened but we'll need your help to find him. Are you to help or not?" Arthur asked, irritated.

"Oui oui, but of course, anything for Matthew. What's the plan, Arthur?"

* * *

Alfred, Arthur and Francis had gone to Alfred's house to start with. Alfred had told them that after he had gone to drop off Arthur in his room, he returned home. From a block away, Alfred had seen the flames and smoke and had gone to Arthur for help.

Arthur had been silent save for the occasional insult and jibe at Francis. Alfred had tried to get Arthur to look at him but failed. Francis had noticed the interaction between the two but chose to say nothing, knowing that it wasn't the time to pry.

Once they had arrived at Alfred's house, they saw that the firefighters had already put the fire out. The beautiful Victorian-style house was now a gray dismal heap of a building, too ruined to even be considered a house anymore. Alfred was unaffected by the house's state. He had never really considered the place a home; despite the number of years he had lived in it. It was Matthew that made it seem like home and if he wasn't there, there would be no reason for Alfred to go back to it.

The firefighters and ambulance had left by now, leaving only the investigating policemen behind. Alfred approached one of the policemen and asked him if they had found anyone. The policeman shook in head, leaving Alfred with nothing.

"Well?" Arthur asked. Alfred shook his head.

"That means that Matthew might still be alive!" Francis said, his face relaxing. Arthur frowned. This wasn't good, not at all. If Francis and Alfred had heard what he had seen then they would have known that Matthew might have still been in danger.

"There's something I need to tell you both. I see now that it was unjust of me to keep this from you but I really didn't what you to worry," Arthur sighed. He had hoped that he would never have to tell them or anyone for that matter. But it was important and if it helped find Matthew then so be it.

Alfred and Francis looked at him. "What do you mean, Arthur? Did something happen?"

"Well…do you remember the time that I had fallen ill and Kiku had taken care of me?" They both nodded. Arthur took this as his sign to continue. "The reason I went outside was because I saw something, a person in my room. He was there one moment and vanished the next. I saw a glimpse of him outside and I chased after him. I had asked him if he knew anything about the murders but he turned away from me. When I tried to approach him he changed shape into… something grotesque. After that, I backed away, slipped and fell unconscious. That was when you found me, Alfred. I disregarded the event, having thought it to be a figment of my imagination due to the fever."

"Who was it, Arthur?" Alfred asked, slightly puzzled as to why Arthur hadn't told him any of this.

"I wasn't sure and I'm still not now. But that is beside the point. Later, when we had all gone to the beach, some creature dragged me underwater. It was then that I recognized it as the same student I had seen earlier. They had the same eyes. And this creature-"

"Creature?!" Alfred exclaimed, now angry that Arthur had kept something so important to himself.

"Alfred, please let me finish. Then you can object all you want. Now this creature had tried to kill, at least, that's what it seemed like. I think that it may be responsible for all the deaths and mysterious events so far," Arthur said stoically. Whatever fear Arthur had before had completely vanished by this point. He didn't mind dying, as long his death had accomplished something.

"Arthur! Why didn't you say anything? To me! Maybe if you had said something, something like this would have never happened! What if Mattie's hurt? It'd be your fault, Arthur, for staying quiet when you should have said something!" Alfred accused, his voice loud and angry.

"Arrêter! Stop! Blaming Arthur will not help us find Matthew. We can discuss this later. Preferably once we have found Matthew," Francis said sternly. Francis believed that Matthew was alive, his heart ached for it to be true.

Arthur nodded, not looking at Alfred. If anyone should be angry, Arthur thought, it should have been himself. Stupid bloody wanker, always making himself the victim.

They had agreed to wait for the investigators to leave and conduct an investigation of their own, hoping that they would be able to find something the policemen missed. The house was charred, leaving little intact. Arthur had suggested that they split up and search for anything out of the ordinary. Arthur had taken the backyard. At first glance he noticed the garden. Its flowers were crushed as if compressed by something…or perhaps someone. Arthur took a closer look and saw footprints that looked like webbed feet. Arthur stared at them before calling Alfred and Francis over.

Francis and Alfred rushed to Arthur, hoping that he had found something of use. Arthur pointed to the strange footprints.

"Perhaps the creature followed Matthew. If we follow the footprints we might be able to find him," Arthur surmised. Francis shrugged his shoulder, not seeing anything else that might help and decided to go along with what Arthur had suggested. Alfred was more hesitant but acquiesced.

The footprints led them to the woods. All three stopped at the edge of the woods for a moment, wondering whether it was worth the risk of getting lost for a half-baked idea. Arthur headed in first, determined to go through with his idea. Francis and Alfred followed.

The woods were located at the outskirts of Little Flats and were, for the most part, off-limits. Years ago, there had been a horrible accident (the details of the accident had become more obscure and vague as time passed until the exact details of what had actually occurred were all but forgotten) concerning some children and since then the woods were declared out of bounds during nighttime. Although, everyone had taken that as a warning that the woods were anything but safe and had proceeded to never set foot into them unless it was absolutely necessary.

"H-hey, wait. Didn't people die here? That means…ghosts!" Alfred cried, his face one of pure terror. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Relax, you git. There are no such things as ghosts. Now concentrate at the matter at hand," Arthur scolded. Alfred nodded, still scared but determined to find Matthew.

Francis sighed inwardly, glad for the silence for once. He scanned the trees, looking for any signs of anything out of the usual. Not like he knew what was abnormal in a forest but he continued searching, not letting the fact that the forest is dangerous stop him. Francis stopped for a moment when he heard the sound of rushing water and what seemed to be weeping. Francis signaled to Arthur and Alfred to be quiet and listened again. It was hard to hear over the roar of the water but Francis was sure he had heard crying.

"What is it, Francis? Did you hear something?" Arthur asked, straining his ears to try to hear what Francis heard.

"I hear water running. Is there a river here?" Francis asked, not really familiar with the landscape. Arthur sighed. "Have you learned nothing in school? There's a river cutting through the forest, it served as a border during the eighteen hundreds. Why do you ask? Did you hear something?" Arthur asked, searching for the river while trying to hear at the same time. He heard but just barely. He had to admit that the frog had good hearing.

"Oui oui," Francis replied, signaling with his hand for them to follow them. Arthur almost huffed, disliking the idea of following the Frenchman. Francis led them to the river, where they all saw a figure submerged in the water. Francis held Arthur and Alfred, mouthing out the words 'stay here' while he went to investigate. The weeping was louder as Francis made his way closer to the river. As he came closer, the figure's shape and color were starting to become more profound up to the point that Francis recognized the figure and sighed in relief.

"Matthew." Matthew turned to face Francis, with tears rolling down his face. Francis wrapped Matthew in his arms, pressing him close to chest and stroking his back. Matthew buried his face in Francis's chest, his sobs intensifying.

"Shh, it's alright, Matthew. You're safe now," Francis said, trying to soothe Matthew.

"Mattie!" Alfred yelled, running down to him with Arthur at his heels.

"Here," Arthur said, offering Matthew a blanket and some spare jackets that Alfred had forgotten to pick up (whenever it was cold, Alfred would always offer Arthur his jacket. As a result, Arthur was left with numerous unclaimed jackets in his closet). Francis ended the embrace to wrap a coat around Matthew's shoulders and then wrapped the blanket around him before embracing him once more. Matthew sniffed, clutched his bear closer to his chest with one arm and the other gripping Francis's coat tightly. Francis stroked small circles in Matthew's back, trying to soothe him. Francis sang softly, hoping the sound will soothe Matthew.

"_Dodo, l'enfant do,  
L'enfant dormira bien vite  
Dodo, l'enfant do  
L'enfant dormira bientôt._

_Une poule blanche  
Est là dans la grange.  
Qui va faire un petit coco  
Pour l'enfant qui va fair' dodo._

_Dodo, l'enfant do,  
L'enfant dormira bien vite  
Dodo, l'enfant do  
L'enfant dormira bientôt._

_Tout le monde est sage  
Dans le voisinage  
Il est l'heure d'aller dormir  
Le sommeil va bientôt venir."_

The song had its desired effect and Matthew's sobbing decreased to soft whimpers and sniffs. Arthur almost smiled at the Frenchman's attempts to soothe Matthew. He had never really seen Francis act so selfless. It was a side that he really hadn't seen before and he well, _liked _it. Arthur knew that Matthew might never speak of the matter nor will Arthur ask him. It was something that was better left buried.

Matthew closed his eyes, letting Francis's words and voice lull him to sleep, forgetting the memories of what occurred hours ago.

------------------

_Matthew had been frozen by fear, his brain desperately trying to tell his feet to move. Matthew clutched his bear closer to his chest, death __is__ all that he could think of. _

_ When the figure approached, Matthew was startled from his thoughts and he ran upstairs, back to his room. Upon going inside, Matthew looked around, searching for any possible means of escape. He saw the window, ran to it and opened it. Matthew hesitated, seeing the long drop to the groaned. He turned when he heard footsteps in the hall. With the sound of __footsteps in his ears, Matthew__ carefully stepped out of the window and gripped the windowpane. He felt fingers grip his own, and one-by-one pried them from the window. And when the last finger was pried off, Matthew fell. His fall was broken by the garden below. _

_Matthew groaned for a moment, his back and legs hurt. He didn't get up, resting for a few seconds. It wasn't until he heard a loud thump next to him that it occurred to Matthew that the creature might follow. Matthew jumped up and ran, as __far and__as fast he could. He continued running even as he passed the forest trees, feeling the strange menacing creature was still following him. _

_For a moment, Matthew thought that he had lost him- it. He stopped for a moment but then returned to running when he heard footsteps. Matthew couldn't see who was chasing him but somehow he felt that whatever it was, it didn't want him alive. Matthew tried his best to jump over tree roots among various other things but ended up tripping in his haste. Matthew had tried to get up but the pain in his ankle was too much. He half limped and half crawled away. _

_In his haste, Matthew had almost overlooked the river and stopped. In his precarious condition, however, he was unable to keep his balance and fell in. Matthew's body ached all over and he no longer contained the strength to keep going. He let himself lie in the riverbed, awaiting his fate. He heard footsteps and looked up. There was nothing there that he could see but the footsteps were still loud. Matthew heard a loud snarl and quivered in fright. The footsteps receded and Matthew cowered, in fear that the figure would return and finish what he started. _

----------------

Francis had carried Matthew, despite Alfred's protests that it was his duty as 'the hero' to care for his brother. Arthur had managed to convince Alfred that it would be all right for someone else to care for his brother. Alfred had grudging accepted.

The walk to the dorms had been silent and slightly awkward for all parties. Arthur was still slightly irked at Alfred and refused to talk to him about anything that wasn't concerning Matthew. Alfred had tried and failed to get Arthur to accept his apology. Francis, for once, decided it was best for him not to meddle. This certainly wasn't something he wanted to be dragged into.

Francis enjoyed the cool breeze and hummed a song to himself, content that Matthew was found relatively safe for the most part. There was a period of time in which he had worried about whether he was ever going to see Matthew again. It was a brief moment of doubt, one that he would prefer not to repeat and he hoped that Arthur wouldn't make him repeat it. Francis glanced at Arthur once, thinking about the threat that was made against him. He knew that things were just going to get worse from now on and he hoped, with all his might, that Arthur would escape the chaos alive.

Francis enjoyed the beyond scenery above them. The stars were particularly beautiful tonight, or was it just him? Francis softly hummed 'Document s'en va le jour' to himself, hoping that Matthew could hear him in his sleep and be soothed by the sweet melody.

* * *

A/N: The first lullaby that France sings is called "Dodo, l'enfant do" and is a quite popular lullaby by the looks of it. English lyrics are as follows:

**Sleepy Time, The Young One Sleeps**

Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,  
The child will sleep very soon  
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,  
The child will sleep oh, so soon.

A white hen  
Is in the barn.  
It'll make a small egg  
For the child who goes to sleep.

Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,  
The child will sleep very soon  
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,  
The child will sleep oh, so soon.

Everyone is calm  
All around  
It's the time for all to sleep  
Sleep will come soon.

The second one that Francis hums at the end is also a lullaby called "Document s'en va le jour" Both the French and English lyrics are below. I liked this one and once I read the English translation of it, I loved it. I thought it suited the moment and couldn't resist mentioning it.

Doucement, doucement

Doucement s'en va le jour

Doucement, doucement

À pas de velours

La rainette dit

Sa chanson de nuit

Et le lièvre fuit

Sans un bruit

Doucement, doucement

Doucement s'en va le jour

Doucement, doucement

À pas de velours

Dans le creux des nids

Les oiseaux blottis

Se sont endormis

Bonne nuit

English:

Softly, softly  
Slowly goes the day  
Softly, softly  
Steps velvet

The frog says  
Her song night  
And the hare escapes  
Without a sound

Softly, softly  
Slowly goes the day  
Softly, softly  
Steps velvet

In the hollow nests  
Birds huddled  
Fell asleep  
Good night

As for Matthew not getting killed…well there's a reason for that and a mighty big clue attached to it. Matthew not being able to see the creature is also another clue.

Please review.


	10. Ch 10 Of Research and Defeat

Ch 10 Of Research and Defeat

Little Flats, as a whole, was broken. Any forms of celebrations were cancelled and the beach had been sealed off. A sign stood in the warm sand, warning any trespassers of the recent attacks. There had even been rumors of shutting down the Academy. Arthur had protested passionately, arguing that student's education should not be put on hold just because of the recent events. If anything, he reasoned, school should be the focus of the town, it being the only bright thing in Little Flats. The city council had grudgingly agreed, all too tired from worry and fear to even make counterarguments. They held the same fears. What would happen next? Would it ever end? But the worst thought they held was the idea of something was after Arthur. Arthur was the only person that kept going, insisting on fighting and not giving in. The thought of someone killing him was much too horrible for them to grasp. They pushed the thought away, hoping that with forgetting, there would still be a chance to return to normalcy.

Arthur was not blind to how the townspeople looked at him. Some with awe, others with fear, a few with hate and most of them with desperation. No detective had followed up since Detective Wilson's death. None were willing to risk their lives on a case with no leads or suspects. The case was dubbed a "cursed" case and a lost cause. It had even gathered national attention. Television stations and reporters had come, all wanting to get a piece of the mystery. Along with the national attention, a few amateur wannabe detectives had tried to solve the case. Two had disappeared, three were found dead and the rest scattered just as quickly.

The violence of the events was starting to take its toll on the town as well as the Academy. Some students were pulled out of school. Others left with no explanation or warning. The town resembled a ghost town.

Arthur refused to let the negative feelings affect him, determined to find some footing to help him try to make sense of things. To start with, Arthur admitted his mistakes. He had been mistaken in assuming that the cause of the events could be explained by rational and scientific means. By everything he had seen, the cause was anything but normal. This certainly opened a variety of explanations. Too many to be exact. But it helped a bit.

To fully explore every single possibility and eliminate the unlikely ones, Arthur had decided to go to Lull University, a two-hour bus ride from Little Flats, to ransack whatever information he could from their library. He could have asked someone for a ride but all Arthur could think of was Alfred and they currently weren't speaking at the moment, which eliminates that option. He was sure that there could someone else in school that was in possession of a vehicle and Arthur supposed that he could extort them into giving him a ride. But the idea involved work and Arthur simply did not have the energy to try. The bus sounded more appealing to him anyways. At least there he could get some reading done along the way.

Arthur had awoken early to make his trip, careful to not wake Kiku on his way out. He had made his way to the bus stop, located two blocks from the dorms.

So far he had not encountered anyone he knew. It was an early Sunday morning, what were the chances of him encountering anyone from school? Everyone he knew were a bunch of useless gits (excluding Kiku and Matthew), incapable of doing the simplest task. It was better this way, being alone. It wasn't like he got lonely or anything. Of course not! He was Arthur bloody Kirkland! He needed no one. Besides, he liked being alone. At least, that's what he told himself as he waited for the bus.

He picked a book at random from his knapsack. It was a book on the collected poems of William Wordsworth. Arthur opened the book, flipped a few pages and started to read. When Arthur saw the title of the poem, 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,' he huffed and closed the book.

Arthur saw the bus approach and placed the book back in his knapsack. English poets could wait another time (even if it seemed that they were always mocking him). He got inside the bus, greeted the bus driver and paid his fare before settling down in one of the seats close the exit. The bus was almost empty, its passengers consisting just of Arthur and the bus driver. That was good, Arthur decided. At least he could accomplish some reading.

He pulled out a book that he had checked out from the library and started skimming through it. It was a beginner's encyclopedic guide to the world of the supernatural. It contained everything from the basilisks to unicorns. He knew that it was a lot to get through and started to read.

As Arthur was moving on to section B of the encyclopedia, he looked at out the window and saw that it was his stop. Arthur shoved the book back into his knapsack and thanked the bus driver on the way out.

Arthur was almost overwhelmed by the size of Lull University. The school had a warm inviting atmosphere. People were gaily chatting with one another. The sun was out, bright in the sky. Despite the cheery atmosphere, Arthur's mood remained the same, taciturn and grouchy. He had no idea where to start. He shook his head, deciding to check out some books.

After thirty minutes roaming around campus (Arthur Kirkland didn't take directions from anyone. He was perfectly capable of making his way to a library.) Arthur had found the library. The library was styled in a classical medieval look. Its high arches seemed to have no end, evoking its visitors with a sense of awe. Arthur admired the architecture for a moment and then headed inside. He went to the front desk, where an elderly lady was occupied doing some paperwork on her desk. "Excuse me, miss, I was hoping that you could help me find some books," Arthur said, trying to get the woman's attention.

"What of?" the lady asked, bored, not bothering to look up at him.

"Any and all books on the supernatural," Arthur said seriously, not a hint of humor in his voice. The woman looked up at him, eyebrow arched, skeptical.

"Are you sure that's what you want, dear?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" Arthur was appalled by the terrible service. He was a sort of client, wasn't he? He expected to be taken seriously.

The woman scribbled some number on a scrap of paper and handed it to Arthur. "There we go, dear. To the right," she said, her hand pointing right. Arthur snatched the scrap of paper and headed to where the woman had pointed. On the paper was a list of call numbers to the books that Arthur had requested. There wasn't as many as Arthur had thought. He searched the shelves for the books and placed them all on a nearby table.

The stack of books mostly contained various kinds of old volumes, new editions of old ones and of a catalog of articles. Arthur sighed. It was going to be a _long_ day.

Arthur started with a book titled 'Folklore and Tradition: Legends and the Role They Play in Society.' It was a start, he figured. After skimming the book for an hour, he put it aside and grabbed another book. This one was on cryptids, which sounded more useful for Arthur. Arthur had made a list earlier in the bus on the features the creature had. After double-checking the book, Arthur still had no idea what the creature could be.

Arthur was about to take a break when a book caught his eye. He had remembered when he had taken that _particular_ book off the shelf. It had caught his interest and he had looked forward to reading it. Now that his attention was on it, Arthur supposed it wouldn't hurt to take a quick peek at it. He had placed the book at the bottom of the stack, so as to insure that he would look at the books on top of it before. He pulled it out, toppling the stack, sending the books flying in all directions. People turned to stare at him. A few shushed him and one had even thrown a crumbled paper ball at Arthur. Arthur laughed when it had missed only to be shushed again. Arthur didn't care, too excited to even notice the scornful looks aimed at him.

The book in question was one about faeries. Arthur had always loved fairies, even as a child. His brothers had made fun of him for it but Arthur didn't mind. Faeries were wonderful creatures and for a while they were his sole purpose for living. He had even seen faeries as a child and had made friends with them. But once he had shown signs of not growing out of his obsession, one of Arthur's older brothers had flat out told him that faeries didn't exist. He kept telling Arthur over and over again until Arthur was reduced to tears and the subject was never brought up again. It was a long time since then. Arthur's feelings towards faeries had not changed much. They still evoked joy within him but now he wondered whether he had just imagined them all. Arthur decided that topic was something to divulge his thought on some other time. He had to focus on today and on identifying the creature. With any hope, if the creature was identified then perhaps he could find some way to stop it.

Arthur caressed the bind and then turned his attention to the cover. The title was written in an elaborate flowery script. The word "Faeries" adorned the cover. Arthur opened the book and was engrossed in it.

Arthur rubbed his eyes and looked at his watch. It was 5 o'clock! He had spent six hours reading a book on faeries and had not even made a dent in the stalk. Arthur was tempted to bang his head on the table. Arthur returned the books to their designated spots and headed for the exit. The woman in the front desk was still there.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked gently. Arthur shook his head.

"I think I can help you." Arthur instantly perked up.

"There's a professor who works here that specializes in supernatural matters. I think you can still catch him at his office if you hurry," the woman said, scribbling rapidly. She handed Arthur the paper and Arthur gently took it.

"T-thank you!" He ran out before he could hear the woman's reply.

It had taken Arthur five minutes to find the building and office and was a panting mess by the time he had arrived at his desired location. He composed himself, trying to control his breathing. He straightened his shirt and coat. Once he felt completely composed, Arthur knocked once. He got no response except for the occasional loud bang. Arthur waited a moment before knocking again. There was a loud crash, which Arthur took as his cue to enter.

"'Ello? Anyone here?" Large piles of books greeted Arthur as he entered, covering every inch of every table in the room. There were so many that Arthur could scarcely see anything.

"Anyone here?" he asked again.

"Y-yes. Sorry about that. Place's been a mess every since that book sale. So many books and such a bargain! But never mind that. How can I help you?" The disembodied voice said. Arthur craned his neck to try to see where the man was. It was times like that this that Arthur's height failed him.

"Where exactly are you?" Arthur asked, trying to move around to locate the voice.

"Right here. Next to the window. Take a right at the maps pile and then straight ahead. Can't miss it," the voice answered. Arthur tried to look for the maps and saw them from the corner of his eye. Right at the map pile and then straight ahead, Arthur reminded himself.

Within moments of walking, Arthur found him. Professor Lambrett R. Hacklett was not what Arthur expected. Arthur expected an old man in a tweet jacket. Instead he encountered a young man, in his mid-thirties, full of energy and wearing a rather fashionable jacket.

Hacklett extended his hand towards Arthur. "Nice to meet you…"

"Arthur Kirkland," Arthur said, extending his hand and shaking Hacklett's own.

"Now what is that you need of me?" Hacklett asked softly, gently guiding Arthur to his desk and offered him a chair. Arthur thanked him and sat down.

"I am looking for a cryptid of sorts. I was told that you might be able to help me," Arthur said, rummaging through his knapsack, trying to locate the sketches he had made earlier on the bus ride.

"Cryptid? You mean a creature whose existence is not fully documented by scientific evidence? I'm a professor of English folklore and myths," Hacklett explained.

"Perhaps you can help me identify this," Arthur said, handing Hacklett the sketches. Hacklett took the papers and glanced at them. He scrutinized them for a moment before setting them down on his desk.

"I'll tell you what. I'll take a look at them and cross-reference it with any data I have and then I'll get back to you. Does that sound good?" Arthur would have preferred to receive an answer right away but he supposed that life didn't work out that way.

Arthur nodded. Hacklett handed Arthur a piece of paper on which Arthur wrote his contact information.

"I really appreciate this, Professor," Arthur said, standing up, ready to leave.

"Why the interest in this, Arthur? Why this creature of them all?" Hacklett asked, honestly curious about the nature of Arthur's request.

"It's something I saw," Arthur answered quietly before leaving. Hacklett nodded as if seeing strange creatures was a part of everyday life.

"Careful on your way out. Some of these books are very delicate," Hacklett yelled out as Arthur left. Arthur hoped that the man could help. He seemed…trustworthy to say the least. But most of all, Arthur hoped that he could find this creature before it was too late.

------------------

Professor Hacklett had started working on Arthur's request right away, sensing a feeling of urgency within the boy. Hacklett sniffed the air, sensing a particularly strange odor, it smelled of spoiled fish and rotting eggs. Hacklett jumped up, struck by a curious thought. He searched for a particular desk and made a small noise of triumph when he found it. He quickly flipped the pages, trying to get to the N section. Once he had reached the desired section, he quickly scanned the page, skimmed until he found what he was looking for. What he had read corresponded and confirmed his thoughts.

Hacklett closed the book and jogged through the maze of books. He ran outside, trying to find Arthur. Arthur had left moments ago and Hacklett had hoped to catch him. Right when he was about to give up, he saw from the corner of his eye, a green jacket. Hacklett jogged towards it, eager to tell Arthur of what he had discovered. That's when Hacklett saw the bus and saw Arthur getting into it. He tried to run to him but it was already too late. The bus went on its merry way back to Little Flats.

As Hacklett stood there, watching the bus make its slow descend, he wondered if perhaps he had just imagined the smell. Still, he couldn't get the thought from his mind. He sighed before heading back to his office to send Arthur the information that he found, hoping that the boy wasn't in any danger and that he wasn't too late.

------------------

The ride back to Little Flats had been uneventful and quiet. There were a few more passengers on the bus this time. Arthur let himself fall asleep to the sound of the various conversations around him. He was exhausted and just wanted to get back to his dorm so that he could get some sleep.

Arthur slept through the rest of the trip and was awakened by someone shaking his shoulder gently. Arthur stirred and yawned.

"I remembered that this was your stop," the bus driver explained. Arthur nodded and thanked the man.

As he made his way out, the Sheriff greeted him.

"Hello Arthur. It's been a while. How goes your little investigation?" the sheriff asked conversationally.

"It indeed has been a while, Sheriff. As for my investigation…well, it's getting there," Arthur said. The sheriff laughed, clapping his hand on Arthur's back.

"It's nice to know that you haven't given up," the sheriff said as he and Arthur started to walk toward the dorms.

"Well, someone has to do something and I, for one, am not going to let this monster get away with this. I'll stop him. No matter what," Arthur said fiercely, determination evident in his voice. The sheriff arched an eyebrow. "Oh really? That determined are you?"

"Yes." The sheriff said nothing, as if contemplating something.

"Is something wrong, sheriff?" Arthur asked, concerned. The sheriff shook his head and placed his hands on Arthur's shoulder, his face facing the floor.

"Listen Arthur. There's something you shoulder know," the sheriff said, his voice suddenly changing in pitch, becoming deeper and somewhat more menacing.

"Sheriff?" The grip on Arthur's shoulders increased in intensity. Then the sheriff looked up at Arthur, his eyes an amber yellow. Arthur gasped, trying to get out of his grip. The sheriff-no, the _creature_ gave a wicked smile. Arthur tried to scratch, bite, kick, and scream to get the creature off him. The creature gave a loud cackle.

"It's about time we had a little _talk_, Arthur. I'm getting tired of your little "act." When are you going to realize that _all_ of this is _your_ fault? I did it all for you." Arthur stopped his squirming and stared at the creature in front of him. For a moment, Arthur thought he was mistaken. It was all _his_ own fault? How was this even possible? It didn't make any sense. What act? What on earth was the bloody creature talking about?

"I-I don't u-understand. Where's the sheriff? What did you do to him?" Arthur stated dimly. He was getting terribly confused. When were things going to start to make sense?

"Don't worry about him. I took _good_ care of him," The creature laughed and licked its lips suggestively.

"Don't you _remember_?"

"Remember what?" Arthur sputtered. He couldn't really remember anything at the moment but that was beside the point. The creature seemed enraged by Arthur's comment and gripped him harder, sinking his claws into Arthur's flesh. Arthur hissed in pain. The creature leaned in.

"I'm not going to kill you, Arthur, at least not yet. First I'll get your little boyfriend and _play_ with him for a while. And one by one, all your loved ones will disappear until nothing remains and then I'll kill you. And if you run, I'll find you. I like a good chase. I look forward to your death," the creature whispered, releasing Arthur from his hold.

Arthur ran as fast as he could and didn't look back. He ran until he reached his room. He closed the door behind him and locked. He let himself sink to the floor.

What was he to do? The _creature_ had insisted that he had been the cause of all this. That he was at fault here. Arthur closed his eyes in concentration, trying to remember when he had encountered such a creature. Arthur could only draw a blank. He tried to think back but could conjure no such creature in his memories.

Arthur sighed and got up from the floor. He paced around the room until he had knocked over something from his desk. He reached down to pick it up. It was a picture frame with a photograph of his family. It was taken years ago, back when all his brothers (himself included) had lived in the same house. For a moment, Arthur felt nostalgic and a little homesick. It had been a while since he saw his family. Arthur fingered the beautifully craved mahogany frame, his finger tracing the curves and edges.

That was when inspiration struct Arthur. What if…something had happened? And somehow that triggered a chain of events that led to the situation he was in. Arthur stared at the picture once more.

What if what the creature said was true?

Arthur frowned for a moment, pondering until another thought came across his mind. What if the answer was there, staring him in face? Well, not _literally_. Perhaps the past held the answer to it all. Arthur knew that he had to go back. Back home. He had to remember and going back to the place where it all started might help him remember.

Arthur scrambled to his closet and grabbed a suitcase. He set the suitcase on his bed. Arthur went back to his closet and grabbed whatever clothes he could fit in the suitcase. He zipped the suitcase shut and left the room, suitcase in hand without looking back.

Arthur cursed when he was unable to locate his phone. In his haste, Arthur had left his phone on his bed. He was tempted to go back and get it but decided against it. He searched for a payphone and ordered a cab.

The cab did not taken long to come and in a way Arthur was relieved. He knew what he needed to do and giving himself more time to think about it would only make him doubt himself. He was determined to go through with his plan, no matter how it terrified him.

Arthur opened the door to the cab and stepped inside.

"Where to?"

For a moment, Arthur hesitated. If he stayed, he would have to watch those he cared about suffer. All because of him and he was helpless to stop it all. But if he left, he might leave his friends exposed to the creature's attacks. But he knew that he had to find out the truth. This creature was connected to him somehow. He had to find out what this connection was and how to stop it.

"Kid?"

"The airport, please. Chittus Airport and step on it." Arthur closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He let himself enjoy the scenery, letting his thoughts wander. As much as he didn't want to think about his problems, he found that was all he could think about.

"Kid."

Arthur blinked in surprise, not fully paying attention to anything. "Yes?" he asked.

"We're here. Do you need help with the suitcase?" the cab driver offered.

"No, thank you. Here's your money," Arthur said, reaching into his wallet and handed the driver a fifty-dollar bill. He grabbed his suitcase and carried it behind him with his good arm. Arthur walked through the automatic doors and was greeted by crowds of people. Even though it was a normal night, the airport was still crowded with people all trying to get somewhere. Arthur managed his way through the crowd and seated himself at the designated station. He fidgeted in his seat until he stood up again and went to buy a newspaper. He read the newspaper, cover to cover. Once he had finished, Arthur was left with nothing to do. Arthur rummaged through his things, trying to find something to occupy his time. He found an old locket, one that he had nearly forgotten about. Arthur had thought that he lost it quite a while ago and it took him by surprise that he found it. Arthur fingered the locket, memories returning to his mind.

Arthur had first received his locket on his fifth birthday. It had been in his family for generations (at least that was what he was told) and had been passed down from mother to daughter. Arthur's mother was at a loss at what to do when her first child had been a boy. So she waited, hoping that perhaps the future would bring her a girl. Three boys born later and she had finally decided to give the heirloom to her eldest son who gave it to his younger brother and so on until finally it had reached Arthur. Upon receiving the locket, Arthur had treasured it and kept it in a jewel box that he borrowed from his mother and had buried in the yard where it became forgotten until it was dug up five years later.

Now that Arthur thought about it, wasn't that the place where it had started? When he had seen his first faerie? Could it be that all his troubles could be traced back to that day?

Arthur yelped, jumping in his seat when a voice from the speaker had said that it was time to board. Arthur composed himself, hoping that no one had seen him jump. He gathered his belongings, placing the old and beloved locket in one of the pockets of his suitcase and stood at the end of the line. His ticket and passport had been stamped and he was walking to the platform that led to the plane.

Arthur stopped, hesitating. He could still go back and try to solve this with Alfred and the others. Arthur shook his head. No. He had already gone this far and he was going to go through with it. Staying behind wouldn't help him figure out what it was about his past that led him to this situation. He had to know. Going home, it would fill in the blanks in his memory and hopefully help him remember.

He took one last look back before walking forward. This time he didn't look back. He hoped that the others wouldn't worry too much. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and they knew it. Well, he didn't care so much about everyone else as much as he did for Kiku and Matthew. He hoped that they wouldn't trouble themselves over him.

Arthur boarded the plane and looked for his seat number. He cursed to himself when he found out that he had been given the center seat. He hoped that he wouldn't be too uncomfortable. Arthur let his mind wander as the other passengers boarded the plane and took their seats. For a moment Arthur let himself think of Alfred whom he had tried to put into the deepest cresses of his mind. Alfred wasn't speaking to him. Something about Arthur being a "total douchebag" for not telling him about the creature. Arthur didn't let the insult bother him but Alfred (along with everyone's presence) was missed. Alfred refused to speak to him. Matthew had holed himself up in Francis's room and hadn't said a word since the "incident." Francis was too busy trying to get Matthew to talk and …well, it seemed to him that everyone had their own problems and it made him somewhat lonely.

Deciding to think on other things, Arthur leaned back in his chair. He clutched his knapsack close to his chest and closed his eyes, letting himself think of the past and the horrors and wonders that had come with it.

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A/N: None of these books are real and if they, its purely coincidental.

Um yeah, total fail on my part on Arthur's bros. I had no idea how to portray them so I chose not to. .

Thoughts and concerns, anyone?

I am going to be busy the next three weeks due to my projects and studying but hopefully that shouldn't stall updates. ^^

And NO! Matthew is just as awesome as Arthur. Its just that Arthur's more _special_ that he was able to see the creature. ^^:

And thanks to everyone who reviewed, faved and/or put the story on story alert. It means a lot to me.


	11. Ch 11 Of Homes and Rain

Ch 11 Of Homes and Rain

It was raining when Arthur arrived. Then again, to Arthur it seemed like it was always raining. Whenever it rained in Little Flats, Arthur was reminded of home. He stood outside for a while, just enjoying the scenery before him. Lime coloured fields and lush greenery. Arthur closed his eyes, letting the rest of his senses do the seeing for him. He smelled the fragrance of honey and water. He could feel the rain dripping into and soaking his clothes. He could almost taste the wonderful earl gray tea now. He then opened his eyes and almost smiled. He was home again.

It had been months since he had last visited. Arthur usually went home for the holidays but this semester his various injuries and trips to the hospital had deterred him from going. Arthur had to say that he had missed his homeland quite much. He hadn't realized just how much until he had stepped out of the airport.

Arthur cursed to himself once he realized that he had no transportation to his brother's house. Arthur had grown up in London and that was where his parents lived but he felt something calling him to his brother's estate in Edinburgh*.

He had also conveniently forgotten to call his brother in advance to inform him of his arrival. No matter, he could always surprise him. Arthur and his brothers were never in the best of terms. Whenever the opportunity arose to torture one another, they all eagerly took advantage of it.

Arthur was going to visit his (vastly) older brother, Andrew, who had a small house located in the edge of Edinburgh. The last time Arthur had seen Andrew was at the previous Christmas celebration, an obligatory family gathering of sorts. Andrew had left in a hurry and Arthur hadn't spoken to him since. Arthur hoped that his brother was in a good mood.

Arthur called for a cab and waited at a bench. Once the cab had arrived, Arthur directed the driver to his brother's house. It had been a while since Arthur was last here and he didn't remember what street Andrew lived on. He hoped that his spatial memory would not fail him for once. Arthur stopped the driver once he saw the familiar house. He paid the cab driver his fare and stepped out.

It was just as Arthur remembered it. The houses on the block were virtually identical to their neighbors with a small amount of variation. His brother's house was at the corner of the block. It was a far bit more tattered than its neighbors but still in livable condition.

Arthur made his way up the driveway, dreading the moment when he had to knock on the door. Once he was in front of the front door, Arthur stopped and lingered for a bit. He gathered up his courage and knocked on the door. He stopped and sighed. He tried once again when the door opened. At first Arthur could see no one behind the door until he looked down. Arthur scowled at the sight of his much-hated little brother.

"Peter, what are you doing here? Where's Andrew?"

Peter rolled his eyes at Arthur. "He went out. Didn't say anything about when he was going to come back though. Bye," Peter said as he tried to slam the door on Arthur's face. Arthur quickly reached for the door and pushed back on it before it could close.

"Not so fast, Peter. I need to do some errands. Now let me in," Arthur murmured through gritted teeth, pushing the door further back. Peter tried to use his weight to keep the door closed but failed. Arthur was just too big and strong. Peter quickly stepped back to let Arthur in. Arthur, who had still been forcing his way in, didn't notice Peter's abrupt movement and fell to the floor. Peter pointed and laughed at Arthur. Arthur cursed to himself before getting off the floor. Arthur wondered what he had done to Peter to get him so riled up about. The boy would forever be a mystery to him.

"Peter, listen to me," Arthur said, grabbing Peter by the shoulders and forcing him to look at him.

"I'm going out for a bit later. Tell Andrew that I'm going to be at the docks. He'll know what I'm talking about. Stay here." Peter stomped his foot.

"No! Everyone always leaves me behind! Take me with you! Take me with you! Take me with you!" Peter whined, his complaints never ceasing in vigor and intensity. Arthur had ignored him for the most part and walked to the guest room. He placed his traveling bag and knapsack on the bed.

He then went to Andrew's room, trying to search for some clothes he had left last time he had visited. Peter had followed him, his whining and complaints still spewing from his tongue. Arthur continued going through the closet until he had found what he was looking for. They were some old spare clothes of Andrew's that Arthur knew Andrew would not miss. Arthur had tried to go into the restroom quick enough so that Peter would not be able to sneak inside. He locked the door behind him and changed out of his drenched clothes. Arthur unlocked the door and stepped outside once he had finished. Peter continued his rant while Arthur left the room and headed towards the kitchen.

Peter followed behind once more, hoping to get on Arthur's nerves. Arthur ignored him and ransacked the refrigerator, his stomach empty since he had gotten off the airplane. He wrinkled his nose in disgust when he had found a two-week old haggis and had spared his brother the pleasure of throwing it out. Arthur had settled with the stale scones and porridge.

He was halfway to finishing when Arthur had noticed the silence. He saw Peter staring at him hungrily.

"Are you hungry, Peter? I can make you something if you like," Arthur suggested gently. Peter shook his head vigorously. "N-no! I hate your cooking! You always burn everything!" Arthur rolled his eyes at the comment and continued eating the remainder of his meal. Once he had finished, he had searched the refrigerator once more and found some remainders of codfish. He took it out and searched for a frying pan. He had also found some potatoes hidden in some corner.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked angrily. To Arthur, it seemed that Peter was always angry.

"I'm making you something to eat. Here, take these and start peeling," Arthur said, handing Peter some potatoes. Peter wrinkled his nose at the prospect of doing work but did what Arthur told him and started peeling.

"Why are you here anyways? I thought you hated Andrew?" Peter asked, flinching when he nicked his thumb. Arthur sighed and took the potato from him. Arthur took the potato in his hand and finished peeling the potato. He handed the peeler back to Peter and continued with his cooking.

"I have to remember something. Something important," was all Arthur said. Peter humph-ed at the short answer and continued to peel the potatoes. Once Peter had finished, Arthur had started to fry the potatoes.

Arthur had tried his best not to burn anything and he hoped that Peter would appreciate his efforts. Arthur placed the plate in front of Peter. Peter had stuck out his tongue at Arthur before gorging down the food. Arthur watched silently as his brother ate. It reminded him of how big a wreck their family was. Family gatherings mostly consisted of fighting and arguing and someone leaving in a huff. He wondered if things would ever change.

Peter stood up and handed Arthur the empty plate. "It wasn't too bad I guess," he said, not looking at Arthur. Arthur smiled to himself. He knew that he was a good cook. No, not good, the _best_.

Arthur remembered his self-appointed task and went to search for an umbrella. Once he had found one, he started to make his way to the door.

"H-hey! Where are you going? You're not leaving me here by myself, are you? You're such a jerk! Leaving a little child all on his own, where he could easily be kidnapped and held for ransom-"

"Enough, Peter. You can come with me. Just be quiet for crikes's sake," Arthur said, stepping out. Peter followed behind him. Arthur closed the door and locked it with one of Andrew's spare keys. How many times did he have to tell the man that hiding spare keys under flowerpots wasn't a very good idea?

Arthur walked rapidly, trying to remember what it exactly was about this place that had made him come here. Peter half-jogged half-walked to keep up with Arthur. He voiced his complaints but Arthur paid them no mind. He was too busy consumed in his thoughts.

When they reached the end of the block, Arthur could see a small cemetery from the corner of his eye. He stopped walking and turned to stare at the lonely forlorn graves. It was an old cemetery, and had housed many of the dead from the past century. The graves themselves were not all that elaborate. They were simple stones cut and shaped into tombstones, inscribed with names of long lost loved ones. The cemetery was past its prime and people had long since stopped in using it, preferring the newer gated one a few blocks away. Many of the graves were overrun with weeds and flowers and some had been so worn that the letters they bared were no longer decipherable. The cemetery stirred long lost memories in Arthur. Memories that he had thought he had buried deep in his heart, hoping that they would eventually be forgotten.

Peter continued to voice his many complaints to Arthur when he saw the look on Arthur's face. It was one of longing and pain. To Peter it was a foreign look. He had never seen Arthur in so much pain. Peter tugged on Arthur's coat, trying to stir him from his thoughts. Arthur didn't notice the movement, much too enveloped in the memories of the past and all the emotions that he had long forgotten.

* * *

It had been a warm summer day. Arthur was five year old and Andrew had just finished explaining to him the importance of his new gift. It was a locket, one that he had seen his mother treasure so much. Arthur was astonished that such a thing was now his. His and only his. Arthur fingered the locket and then stuffed it into his pocket, as if to protect it from thieves.

Andrew chuckled at Arthur's naivety and ruffled his hair. Arthur grinned happily, wondering what he had done to deserve such a splendid gift from his beloved brother. Arthur almost leaped with joy and excitement.

His excitement was cut short later when he had almost lost the precious antique. From that point on, Arthur decided on burying the prized heirloom and had used his mother jewelry box as a storage place. After much deliberation, Arthur had decided to bury it like pirates buried their treasure in all the stories his mother had told him. He had picked the backyard as his secret spot. He picked the most special part of the backyard, the garden. The garden was home to many beautiful flowers. In the most secluded part of the garden, hidden from view by many bushes and shaded by the trees was a ring of flowers. Arthur thought that spot was the perfect spot to bury his gift. He had taken a small spade and dug a hole in the middle of the ring. He buried the box and covered it back with dirt. He patted the dirt once before going back to the house and putting the spade away before he loses it.

For the most part, Arthur's treasure remained hidden and eventually forgotten. It was five years later that Arthur had rediscovered his treasure when he was tending to the garden. He spotted the corner of the jewel box and dug it out. He was surprised by the discovery.

"Arthur! We must get going. The trip to Edinburgh is a long one. Let's try to make good time," Arthur's mother called out. Arthur opened the box and stuffed the precious heirloom into his pocket.

His mother had been right. The car ride to Edinburgh had been indeed long. They were going to visit his brother, who had just moved out. Arthur didn't really get along with any of his brothers but his parents had insisted on visiting Andrew. Arthur was compelled to join them.

Someone shaking his shoulder roused Arthur from his sleep.

"We're here," his mother said gently. Arthur rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. Arthur got out of the car and was greeted by a small gray house, almost identical to its neighbors. His parents had already gone and greeted his brother. Arthur was tempted to explore the area, having grown bored with the idea of fighting with his brother again.

Arthur tugged on the sleeve of his mother's coat. "I'm going to explore for a bit. I'll be back in a jiff." His mother nodded absentmindedly. Arthur left his parents and went to explore the block.

He dared to venture further and went past the end of the street until he stumbled into a graveyard. Arthur stopped to look at it and slowly walked towards it. He thought he saw strange lights and approached them in order to get a closer look. He gasped when he saw that they were not fireflies as he had originally thought but will-o'-the-wisps**! Arthur was terrified of coming any closer, afraid to be drawn in by the light and taken from home. He stayed where he stood, rooted to the ground. He gaped at the lights, fascinated by the wonderful array of colors. And for a moment, he forgot his fears about being whisked away and any other cautionary tales he may have heard of fairy lights. Why would creatures so beautiful want to harm him?

He approached the lights, his fears forgotten. One of the lights buzzed by his ear and tickled him. Arthur laughed. His laughter seemed to have a positive effect on the lights, making them brighter and more beautiful. Once he opened his eyes, Arthur realized that he could see them. He could see their shapes and features. He could see the wonderful wings and the beautiful colors. They whispered kind words to him and asked him to be their friend. He laughed with joy. They were so beautiful and kind. Arthur nodded, glad to have found these wonderful companions and befriended them.

They followed Arthur when he had chosen to go back and face his brother. He felt at ease with them at his side. He felt wanted, loved and (dare he say it) special. They made him happier than he had ever been in his whole life. They took away the pain of being alone and made him feel like he needed no one else. He just needed them as his companions.

Arthur allowed them to follow him, glad to finally have some friends of his own. He greeted his brother civilly and quickly went to the backyard to talk some more with his new fairy friends. They had said that they could only enter the house when invited. Arthur had taken into consideration that his brother might not want fairies in his house and agreed to meet them outside.

For a week, Arthur had spent all waking hours with the fairies. His parents had, at first, taken no notice of it. Arthur had talked to them about his fairy friends with them and they had thought it was just a child's imagination and let him do as he pleased.

* * *

An annoying voice broke Arthur from his trip into his memories. Peter had grown extremely restless and was tugging wildly on Arthur's sleeve. Arthur sighed at the action and bent down to Peter's level.

"What is it, Peter?" he asked in what he hoped was a calm tone. The boy aggravated him too much sometimes. It was starting to grow harder to try to reason with him.

"You had a funny look on your face," Peter remarked, pointing at Arthur's face. Arthur frowned and grabbed the accusing finger.

"No pointing, Peter. It's rather rude to point," Arthur scolded, dragging Peter with him as they walked.

"Where are we going?" Peter whined, pouting.

"The pier. Its not that far from here. Now come along, Peter, and no whining. It is very unbecoming to behave like such a child."

"But I am a child," Peter countered. Arthur frowned and said nothing. Arthur tried his best to remember what path he had taken as a child to the pier. Many things had changed since then and he hoped that he would not get them lost.

After half an hour of roaming around, Arthur had officially declared them to be truly and utterly lost. Arthur had realized this once the scenery had started to change and he could no longer see any houses. Arthur turned to look at Peter, hoping that perhaps he could say something of use.

"We're lost, aren't we?" Arthur groaned softly. It would be just like Peter to state the obvious.

"Yes, we are lost. Do you happen to know what direction we came from?"

"YOU GOT US LOST. I HATE YOU, ARTHUR. HATE. YOU," Peter screamed. Arthur sighed. Whenever Arthur was around Peter, Peter would act aggressively and start proclaiming his hate for Arthur. Arthur really didn't see what he had done to make Peter hate him so much but he bore with it.

Arthur turned around, trying to retrace his steps back to the house. He then caught the scent of a strong fragrance. It smelled like the sea. Arthur followed it, gripping Peter's wrist so as to keep him from escaping. Peter whined loudly but Arthur paid it no mind. Arthur followed the scent. It took him to an isolated beach. He supposed that it was an active place during the weekends. It suddenly occurred to Arthur that he had ditched school. He supposed it was too late to worry about it now.

Arthur took one deep whiff of the fresh ocean breeze and let the memories rush to him.

* * *

One day, Arthur and the fairies had ventured past the cemetery and into one of the ports there. Arthur had seen a figure in standing in the water. It had the shape of a man but looked different somehow. From the distance, Arthur could not tell how different. He went closer to try to get a better look. The fairies tried to warn Arthur that the figure wasn't human. That it was a dangerous fairy and it was best not to get involved with it. Arthur's curiosity proved to be too strong for him to ignore and approached the figure, regardless of the fairies' warning. The fairies wished to stay back but fearing for Arthur's safety, they followed close behind.

Arthur approached the figure and stood at a foot distance from it. The creature was half human and half horse with fins for feet. Its head was much larger than any man Arthur had seen. The creature looked almost skinless, the flesh raw and red. The veins on its body were dark, almost black. It was large, almost a full six feet tall. Arthur wrinkled his nose when the strong odor of rotten eggs hit him. He hadn't noticed the smell up to this point.

Gathering all his courage, Arthur tapped the creature on the shoulder. The creature turned to face Arthur. Its face would have resembled a human's were it not for the large mouth. The creature had one large red eye, piercing and menacing. Arthur backed up a few steps, suddenly frightened by the creature.

The creature edged closer and took a long good whiff at Arthur. It cocked its head to the side, curious about the strange boy.

"You can see me," it stated, its yellow eyes no longer menacing. Arthur nodded timidly, taking a few steps back. The creature stood at its full height, almost as if preparing to attack. Arthur stared at the creature, his curiosity suddenly shadowing his fear.

"And you haven't run away yet," the creature laughed, pleased. The creature's laughter was light and almost cheerful. Arthur grinned, watching the creature.

"You really are something, aren't you kiddo?" The creature took a clawed hand and ruffled Arthur's head. Arthur just smiled, happy to see that he had pleased the creature.

"Are you a fairy?" Arthur asked eagerly.

"You mean am I what humans classify as a fairy, then yes, I am a fairy," the creature answered. Arthur clapped his hands in glee.

"Will you be my friend then?" Arthur hoped that the creature would say yes. The creature- fairy's eyes widened in astonishment.

"You want something like me to be your companion?" Arthur nodded. The dark fairy nodded, causing Arthur to jump up and down in glee. He liked making new friends.

Since that moment, Arthur had gone to visit the dark fairy every day, telling him tales of his family and what humans did. The creature listened attentively, taking note of every detail. Arthur's other fairy friends had continued to follow Arthur, despite their fear for the large dark fairy. They stayed their distance; close enough to intervene if it seemed that Arthur was in any danger. Although, the dark fairy had seemed to taken a liking to Arthur and looked forward to their meetings.

Arthur had learned many things from the dark fairy in exchange for his stories. He had learned about different types of fairies and of the seelie and unseelie courts. He learned about brownies, hobgoblins, kelpies and boggarts. The dark fairy had told him that fairies had relatives just like humans did. Arthur had asked him about his relatives. The dark fairy replied that his relatives weren't the kindest of fairies and said no more on the subject. Arthur understood. Most of the time he felt like his family didn't really understand him too well.

Once it was close to sundown Arthur bid farewell to his fairy friend and headed back home. The next day Arthur's mother had asked him to stay inside and help her with some chores. Arthur agreed, glum that he would not be able to visit his fairy friends.

He went to bed that night excited, eager for tomorrow to come. It didn't take long for Arthur to fall asleep and within minutes he was dreaming of tomorrow. Arthur woke early, eager to find his fairy friends. He heard worried voices downstairs and wondered what was wrong. Arthur went downstairs in his pajamas, too worried to even change into some decent clothes. He rubbed his eyes, trying to be as alert as he could be.

The sight that greeted him could not have been more horrible. There was an injured man on one of his brother's couches, blood seeping from his wounds. Arthur gasped in horror, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes from the sight. Arthur's mother saw this and immediately bundled Arthur into her arms, embracing him. Arthur sniffed, his eyes staring at the injured man. He had never seen so much blood in his life and he hoped that he never would again.

"Why is that man here? Is he going to die?" Arthur asked, no longer trying to hold back the tears from flowing down his face.

"No, of course not! He'll be fine. You'll see. Now Arthur, I want you to go and find your brother and bring him over," his mother told him sternly. Arthur nodded, wiping the stray tears from his cheeks. He went into the backyard, trying to find his brother. He spotted him by the rosebushes. Arthur walked up to him and tugged on his sleeve.

"Mother wants to speak to you." Andrew nodded and headed inside. The quiet fear inside Arthur was slowly growing by the minute. Arthur knew that he needed to calm down. He had never wanted more than to see his fairy friends at that moment.

Arthur snuck out of the house when his parents weren't looking and headed to the cemetery. He found it empty and frowned. The fairies were always there. He wondered where they could have gone. He continued on his way to the beach.

He searched for the dark fairy in his usual hiding but found it empty. He was about to leave when he stepped into a puddle. Arthur looked down and lifted his foot. He saw a giant puddle of blood leading to the beach. Arthur followed despite his horror. What if someone tried to hurt his fairy friend? He had to make sure he wasn't injured.

Arthur followed the trail of blood and found it leading to the beach. It was then that his other fairy friends appeared. Their luminance was dimmer in daylight but now seemed almost to fade completely.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked them. They shook their heads and tried to keep him back. Arthur didn't understand what they were trying to tell him. He had to make sure the dark fairy was safe. He urged on, following the trail to its source. He saw the dark fairy hunched over as if in pain. Arthur ran towards him, rushing to help his friend. The dark fairy heard his approach and turned to face Arthur.

Arthur stopped dead in his tracks by what he saw. The dark fairy was covered in blood. Arthur gaped in horror. He stepped back, too horrified to say anything. The creature reached for him and managed to grip Arthur's shoulder. Arthur tried to pry the claws off, suddenly fearing for his life. Arthur shook his head vigorously, too dismayed by the dark fairy's actions. It had tried to kill someone, a human being. What made Arthur safer than anyone else?

Arthur tried to run away but couldn't, the grip on his shoulder holding him in place. The other fairies saw Arthur's distress and tried to help him escape. They scratched at the dark fairy's hands. The dark fairy clawed at them. When that didn't seem to be enough, it released its hold on Arthur and used both hands to try to get them. Arthur stepped and watched in horror as he saw the dark fairy grab one of the flying fairies and eat it, munching and gulping loudly.

Terrified by what he saw, Arthur ran as fast and as far as he could and didn't look back to see if the dark fairy had followed him. He ran and didn't stop until he had been inside the house and safe inside his room. He locked the door and went to hide in the closet. He didn't come out until hours later. He had to be bribed with earl gray tea in order to come out.

The incident had traumatized Arthur and he never thought of the incident since.

* * *

The warm sea breeze was refreshing to those who received it. The sun was shining brightly and there was not one cloud in the sky. The atmosphere and weather were wonderful but Arthur paid it no mind. He was too busy divulging in his memories and the significance they held. Arthur had a vague idea of what the creature was but still did not see where its hatred stemmed from. The one thing that he was certain of was that the creature or dark fairy was determined to kill him and anything that crossed its path.

Arthur cursed loudly, realizing what a fool he had been to miss the small clues he had been presented with. And now he was miles away while the creature ran loose to do god knows what to his friends. Arthur cursed himself again for his stupidity.

As he pondered his stupidity, he stumbled unto another problem. He was helpless. Even if he returned to face the creature, what good would it do if he was helpless to defend himself? He knew no martial arts, did not know an ounce of self-defense. He was doomed to die. It was then that an idea occurred to Arthur. And from this idea, a plan started to form. He could do this, he realized. He just hoped that he wasn't too late.

"Come, Peter. We have some shopping to do," Arthur said, gently urging Peter to follow him. Peter grimaced at the thought of shopping but was secretly glad of the idea. He got to spend time with Arthur this way. It was perfect.

"So what are we looking for?"

"You'll see."

Nature seemed at peace, calm almost. It looked like the calm before a storm.

* * *

*Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, so yeah Iggy's going to visit his big brother ^^ I decided to go with Andrew for Scotland's name. I did a little research and found that St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and I decided to go with that. And yeah, Peter is Sealand.

And I've never really been to England, Scotland or Edinburgh so I really had no idea how it looked like. All my descriptions are based on photos and Google maps… so sorry for all my inaccuracies.

I know nothing of English or Scottish cuisine either so I'm sorry if there are some inaccurate representations of food.

**Will-o' the wisps are known by many names and are thought to be wandering ghosts or fairy lights. Arthur is referring to the story of a peasant traveling home at dusk sees a bright light traveling along ahead of him. Looking closer, he sees that the light is a lantern held by a "dusky little figure", which he follows for several miles. All of a sudden he finds himself standing on the edge of a vast chasm with a roaring torrent of water rushing below him. At that precise moment the lantern-carrier leaps across the gap, lifts the light high over its head, lets out a malicious laugh and blows out the light, leaving the poor peasant a long way from home, standing in pitch darkness at the edge of a precipice.

I must admit that the scene where the dark fairy is eating the other fairies was inspired by the dinner scene with the child-eating monster from Pan's Labyrinth. It's a good movie even if it has a sad ending. I was both awed and disturbed all at the same time. I guess since I really don't watch many super R rated violent movies is the reason I was slightly disturbed by the violence.

This is also the only that the creature reveals its true form. The rest of the time when he makes an appearance, it's shaped shifted into something else. Quite hideous, ain't it?

There's only two chapters left after this. As for the sequel, I'm still thinking about it…so that means its still not 100% certain whether I'll actually write one or not. I will let you guys know by the end of this story if the sequel is a sure thing or not. Most likely yes but if the plot doesn't work out then I'll probably wont write a sequel.

Updates: hopefully the next chapter should be up in a week. ^^;

Um reviews and comments are greatly appreciated.


	12. Ch 12 Of Returns and Spells

Ch 12 Of Returns and Spells

Everyone noticed Arthur's absence. Kiku was the first to discover that Arthur's side of the room had looked ransacked, items thrown and clothes on the floor. Kiku had called everyone he knew and looked everywhere for Arthur. Kiku had first informed Principal Rome of the situation. Principal Rome had taken the news like he took everything else, slowly. He seemed unabashed by what happened, almost as if he had expected it. This puzzled Kiku. Principal Rome always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone. Kiku wouldn't have been surprised if he knew where Arthur was.

Kiku had headed to Ivan Braginski's room, the place where Alfred had temporarily taken residence in. Kiku didn't know the exact relationship the two had and didn't want to find out. Ivan scared Kiku beyond his wits despite Ivan's kind expressions. There was something about the man that disturbed most people.

Kiku shuddered as he knocked on the door, hoping to find Alfred in. The door opened inwards, revealing a thin young man with long dark hair tied in a ponytail.

"Yao."

"Hello Kiku-aru," Yao said warmly, ushering Kiku inside as if knowing his task. Kiku was forced inside and found himself in what seemed to be a very large living room. In the center of the room was a large table with a checkers board on it. Seated on either side of the table were Alfred and Ivan, engaged in what seemed to be a rather competitive game, neither side having an advantage over the other. Kiku felt it almost rude to interrupt while they were in such a heated game.

"Snacks?" Yao offered Kiku a plate of delicacies. Kiku shook his head. He had a mission to do. He had to inform Alfred of what happened. Perhaps Alfred knew what had occurred? Perhaps Arthur was off somewhere and Kiku had simply overreacted? There's only one way to find out. Kiku gathered all the courage he had and walked up to the excited Alfred.

"Alfred," Kiku said softly. Alfred grunted in acknowledgment, too engaged in his game to even give a proper greeting. Kiku ignored Alfred's rudeness and continued. "Alfred, may I speak to you for a moment." Alfred grunted again and motioned with his hand that he was busy.

Kiku sighed and then tried again. "Alfred, it's important." Alfred sighed and stood up. Kiku led him to a room and closed the door behind them.

"What is it, Kiku?" Alfred asked, slightly irritated at being interrupted at an important game. Kiku cleared his throat and looked Alfred straight in the eye.

"Alfred, do you where Arthur is?"

"Uh, no. Me and Arthur-"

"Arthur and I," Kiku corrected.

"Stop interrupting Kiku. This isn't about you. Wait your turn. Now as I was saying, me and Arthur are kind of not speaking to each other right now," Alfred admitted, slightly irritated at the thought of Arthur. Arthur could be a real jerk sometimes. A cute jerk, one with the cutest expressions on his face when he gets angry… but a jerk nonetheless.

Kiku sighed. "Arthur hasn't been seen for the past 48 hours. Now I know-"

"Arthur's missing?!"

"I didn't say that-"

"But you were getting there!" Alfred yelled out. He figured that Arthur would get himself into more trouble while they were fighting. Arthur just had to go _asking_ for trouble. Alfred felt his heart heave into his chest. Arthur was missing. It could mean…No! Arthur was a damsel in distress and Alfred was going to save him! Because Alfred was a hero, damn it. And heroes always got the girl _and_ the happy ending.

"Arthur's not missing. He's just hiding. You'll see, Kiku. Arthur's fine," Alfred stated, determination etched into his voice. Kiku sighed, knowing that when Alfred got like this there was no stopping him. Alfred had now made it his temporary mission to find Arthur and scold him for worrying everyone.

Alfred opened the door to the room and stepped out, making his way to Ivan.

"Sorry Ivan. I have to cut this game short. My hero's duty is calling," Alfred explained, grabbing a couple sweets from a plate. Ivan nodded and smiled gently.

"It's alright, Alfred. We can continue this some other time. We can even raise the stakes. If you lose you must become one with-"

"Yeah yeah whatever," Alfred said, popping some more sweets into his mouth. He had only heard the "become one with me" speech so many times. A hero can only take so much. Alfred nodded pleasantly before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

Alfred decided to visit Matthew before heading off on his journey to find Arthur. Alfred knew that he hadn't been the best brother to Matthew. He had neglected Matthew and as a result had almost lost him. Alfred vowed to be a better brother this time around.

Alfred knocked on Francis's door. Matthew had been staying at Francis's room ever since the fire. Alfred had tried to convince him that they should stay together but Matthew had been unreceptive, having said not even one word since. The only person Matthew would even listen to was Francis. Alfred had grudgingly let Francis take care of Matthew. Alfred made surprise visits to make sure that Francis kept his hands to himself. Alfred wouldn't let Matthew be molested by Francis.

With his impatience getting the better of him, Alfred knocked again and again until finally a disheveled Francis opened the door.

"What is it, mon ami?" Francis asked irritably, his voice lacking its usual flirtatious flair. Francis's faced softened when he saw that it was Alfred.

"Come in. You've come to see Matthew, oui?" Francis asked softly. Alfred nodded, following Francis inside.

Alfred had seen Francis's room before, had seen the extravagant curtains and excessive flamboyant furniture and ornaments. Alfred had also seen the inappropriate posters that had decorated Francis's side of the room and the pile of pornographic magazines and videos stashed in the corner. It had almost been as if a rainbow had thrown up and spewed an array of colors everywhere. Francis's room looked bare compared to the last time Alfred had seen it. The inappropriate posters were nowhere to be seen. The stash of porn was hidden from view. The more flamboyant, eye-catching objects had disappeared. It almost looked like a normal room. Alfred, for one, was glad that Matthew hadn't been exposed to the more _mature_ side of Francis.

Francis had signaled with his finger for Alfred to be quiet. On a bed (Alfred has assumed it was Francis's and he hoped that Francis had taken to sleeping on the floor) snuggled under numerous blankets with a bear in his arms was a sleeping Matthew, his face relaxed. Alfred smiled and wrapped the blankets more closely around Matthew. Matthew looked so peaceful in his sleep.

"Is he feeling better?" Alfred whispered.

Francis nodded. "He seems much better now."

"Francis?"

"Oui?"

"Do you know where Arthur is?" Francis shook his head. "I have not heard from Arthur since we found Matthew. Is something wrong?" Francis asked, his voice conveying his concern. He wondered if perhaps the creature had finally gotten to Arthur. Francis felt his heart clench in anticipation.

"Kiku hasn't seen him. He thinks that Arthur might have gone missing," Alfred said quietly.

"And do you believe that?"

"No. My gut tells me that Arthur's out there. He's just being a jerk by not letting us know where he is. I'll find him wherever he is," Alfred said, determined, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Good luck on your endeavor," Francis chuckled softly. He had to admire Alfred's spunk. Alfred nodded.

"Take good care of Mattie for me, ok?" Francis nodded in understanding. Alfred took one last look at his brother before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

------------------

It had taken Arthur five hours in order to get all the necessary materials ready. It had taken him an hour to get to the airport where he had to wait another two hours before actually boarding. When going through customs, Arthur was forced to leave behind some of the materials he had bought. Arthur gritted his teeth and dealt with the situation as best he could.

It was a horribly long flight for Arthur, consisting of approximately 9 hours. Arthur had been bored out of his skull and was slowly becoming more insane by the minute. To make time pass by faster, Arthur had taken to reading the book he had bought from an antique book shop. It was a little dusty and old but still readable and in good condition. Arthur started flipping through the pages, enjoying the wonderful (and sometimes graphic) illustrations.

Arthur fell asleep two hours into the flight. He had spent the whole day searching for the materials he needed for his plan. It had taken the most time to find the book. He had to go through seven different bookstores before finding it. The trip had also been heavy on his wallet (this also included the money he had spent on Peter. Peter had asked for a lollipop and didn't stop whining until Arthur had finally given in to his demands).

Peter (fortunately) had to be left behind in Edinburgh. Arthur thought it best for him to stay behind. If he came, Peter might witness Arthur being killed by some strange creature and the boy needn't be traumatized just yet. There were still plenty of horrors that awaited him. Not only was Andrew expecting Peter to be there when he returned, Arthur also did not have enough money to pay for Peter's ticket (let alone the other expenses Peter would have no doubt whined about). Peter had whined and thrown many a tantrum before finally settling down and bidding Arthur farewell. Arthur was relived to be free of the burden and silently wished Andrew good luck with the boy.

Arthur dreamt of a black lagoon. The lagoon had mutated fish swimming in its depth. In the darkest and most elaborate of underwater caves was the lair of a monster, one so dangerous that all the fish cowered away in fear when it approached. One day, there was one fish though, braver than its comrades that stayed behind when all others had long since fled. The brave fish offered the monster some plants, which the monster gladly accepted. The two become friends and were inseparable. One day, humans had decided to fish in this dark gloomy lagoon. All the fish remained in their homes for the day, knowing the humans would leave quickly if they caught nothing. The brave fish also stayed in its home, eagerly waiting the time when he and his monster friend would be reunited. The monster, thinking that his brave friend had abandoned him, went on a killing spree, killing all those in sight. The brave fish returned the next day, finding the destruction the monster had caused. The brave fish confronted the monster on his crime. The monster proved defensive and attacked the brave fish. The brave fish was thrown into the sand and that was the end of the dream.

Arthur woke up with a start, the dream catching him off guard. He felt that the dream paralleled the situation he was in now. The only thing that troubled Arthur was the outcome. Would he be able to survive and accomplish the foul deed? Or would he fail, leaving the creature to do what it wished? Arthur was a very cynical if not very reasonable person and he knew the odds he faced. The chances of him surviving the encounter would be slim at best. But Arthur was prepared for that. He had made peace with the fact that he might not make it to see the next sunrise or see Alfred's smiling face one more time. It was his problem and he would take his chances.

Before Arthur knew it, the plane had landed and people were departing and taking their belongings with them. Arthur grabbed his knapsack and carry-on bag and rushed to the exit. It took him a while to find the exit. Once he did find it, he rushed to find a taxi.

Five minutes later, Arthur was seated within a taxi, staring at the scenery and taking every image in. He sincerely hoped that it wasn't going to be the last time he saw the city. Arthur felt he left too many things unfinished and some undone. Arthur scolded himself for thinking negatively and reminiscing. Of course he was going to live! There were too many things he had to do. First, he had to scold Francis for all his perversions. Second, he had to make sure Matthew was all right. Thirdly, he had to find some way to make Seychelles think twice before talking back to him. And…he had to tell Alfred how he felt.

Arthur had avoided the subject of the kiss for weeks, leaving Alfred very confused. Alfred would try to bring the subject up, only for Arthur to change it back to something else. Whenever it looked like Alfred was going to ask him something, Arthur would turn the other way. Alfred was left thinking that perhaps he didn't like him back. The poor boy had no clue that Arthur liked him just as romantically. Arthur had always thought that there was still time. That one day he would tell Alfred. One day. And now…it was best not to think about it.

The cab pulled to a stop, indicating that they had arrived at the desired location, Coral beach. Arthur thanked the man and paid him.

"Do you need any help?"

"Pardon me?" The cabdriver pointed to Arthur's injured arm. Arthur had stopped using the sling but the arm had yet to heal.

"Oh yes, please," Arthur said gratefully. The driver stepped out and helped Arthur lug the suitcase and bag on the sidewalk. With that done, the driver got back in and drove off.

Arthur sighed, knowing that he had to make the necessary preparations for the confrontation. If all went well, Little Flats should be rid of its menace and Arthur of his. Arthur lugged his suitcase and kicked the rest of his belongings all the way down to the beach. Once he was close enough to the water he stopped and opened the bag. From it he removed a bag of chalk rocks* that he bought in a gemstone shop. He searched through his knapsack and took out the book he had been reading earlier. Arthur had made sure to mark the page carefully. Arthur flipped through the pages until he had found the crease in it that he had made earlier. Arthur placed the book on the sand and carried the bag of chalk in his arms, dropping each rock in the pattern shown in the diagram. He had distributed the rocks wide enough so that the pattern wasn't as noticeable.

After double-checking to make sure he had made the pattern right, Arthur closed the book and hid the rest of his belongings under a bench on the sidewalk. With any hope, they would still be there when he returned for them. He took out a 1850s English field sword and took it back to the shore. He dug a small hole, placed the sword in it and covered it with a light layer of sand. He hoped that it wasn't too conspicuous.

Having finished his preparations, Arthur took his place and shouted as loud as he could.

"Oi!" The short yell had managed to get the wanted result. The water stirred, creating large ripples. The ripples increased in shape and intensity until finally large waves ebbed and flowed on the sand. From the water emerged a large dark creature, not the same dark fairy he had encountered years before.

"Show me your true shape, dark fairy," Arthur called out. The dark fairy chuckled and started to change its shape. It grew larger, its head becoming larger and larger. Its legs split and stretched until there were four horse legs where the two once stood. The two yellow eyes merged into one and changed in hue. The dark skin changed into a skinless flesh with pronounced dark veins. This was the fairy he remembered, large and menacing.

"Decided to show your face, have you?" the dark fairy asked, cocking its large head to the side.

"Thought you might have made a run for it," it continued. The dark fairy scrutinized Arthur with its large eye. Arthur stood his ground, staring straight at the dark fairy's eye.

"No. I wouldn't run away. I'm not a coward," Arthur said defiantly, trying to mask the ounce of fear he felt. The dark fairy chuckled.

"Good. Let's get started shall we?"

Arthur clenched his fist, ready for whatever awaited him.

* * *

Alfred didn't know what made him drive to the beach. The beach had been deserted ever since 'The Odor' had arrived. Something in Alfred's gut told him that he might find Arthur here.

Alfred drove alone, the radio on full blast. He had decided not to bring anyone. Everyone seemed too consumed by their own problems. But that was fine for him. He was a hero. He didn't need anyone! He could handle finding Arthur by himself. How hard could it be to find just one person?

He decided to stop by McDonalds first. He needed plenty of energy if he was going to deal with Arthur. Arthur was quite a handful, time seemed to prove. After Alfred had his fill of Big Macs and Coke, he headed back to Coral beach.

It was strange, the feeling he got. Alfred really couldn't shake it off. He had planned some other places to search first but the feeling persisted. The feeling had gotten so strong that Alfred felt almost…panicked. But that was ludicrous. Heroes didn't panic. He must have been anxious. That's right, anxious. It must be his "heroes" senses tingling. Kind of like Spiderman had spider senses except his were much cooler.

It was then that it occurred to Alfred that perhaps Arthur might be in danger. He couldn't understand it though. Why would Arthur be at the beach?

And….

Crap.

Alfred knew it now, the reason he had been feeling so strangely, why he felt anxious, why Arthur had gone "missing". Everything made sense now. Arthur hadn't gone missing. He went to confront the monster just like a true hero would.

Alfred slapped himself on the forehead. Idiot. Arthur was a complete idiot. He wasn't a hero. There was no way Arthur could handle the creature by himself! It takes a real hero (like himself) to defeat monsters. Silly Arthur. Didn't he know that? And they called Alfred the dense one.

Cursing silently to himself, Alfred stepped on the gas pedal, hoping that his theory was wrong and that he wasn't too late.

* * *

"Why?" Arthur asked resolutely.

"Why what?"

"Why did you do all this? What was the reason?"

"Do you not remember, Arthur?" the creature asked impatiently, standing up on its hind legs and then stomping wildly, frustrated.

"I remember. I just don't understand. I did nothing-"

"Nothing wrong you say? You abandoned me."

"No, I didn't. You didn't let me explain myself," Arthur said calmly as if speaking to a spoilt child.

"Neither did you! You went along with what they said, the humans. You listened to them and assumed the worst of me," it said, enraged, breathing heavily from its mouth.

"I-I didn't. I went to-"

"NO!" It boomed. "I shouldn't have listened to a _human_. Humans are dirty creatures, only good as meals. And guess what, Arthur. I'm hungry," it said, licking its lips with a long red tongue. Arthur took this as his sign to take his plan into action. He frowned when he saw that the dark fairy was still in the water. He would have to get it to come closer if his plan was to work.

Arthur kicked the saber from its place and quickly bent down to retrieve it. The dark fairy's eye widened at the sight of the weapon. It then cackled loudly.

"You really think you can beat me with that puny stick? I'll trample you before you can even nick me," the creature boasted, grinning widely. It lunged at Arthur. Arthur lunged towards it, saber in hand. The saber hit its mark, sinking deeply into the fairy's shoulder. The fairy reared on its hind legs, kicking wildly, trying to get the saber out. Arthur still held the saber in his hand and when the fairy started to kick harder, he was tossed across the beach by the fairy's sheer strength.

Arthur landed on the sand. It took a moment for Arthur to remember where he was and what he was doing. He jumped up and looked at his surroundings. He scanned the beach for the chalk rocks. He saw that the fairy was still out of range from his makeshift circle.

By the time Arthur had gotten up, the dark fairy had managed to pull the saber out and toss it aside. It was now running towards Arthur. Arthur had realized that he had lost his only method of defending himself and tried to run, hoping to lure the fairy closer to his circle. The fairy followed, galloping quickly. Arthur cursed to himself when he saw how quickly the fairy was trotting towards him, closing the gap between them faster than Arthur had anticipated.

He had just a few more feet. If he could get the fairy into the circle then his work was half-finished. Arthur didn't need to turn around to see that the fairy was very close to probably conking him on his head. Arthur used the rest of his reserved energy to try to close the distance from the circle of chalk rocks. He felt the fairy's fingers brush the back of his neck and Arthur jumped the rest of the distance.

Arthur had barely made it inside. Now all he had to do was make sure that the creature was inside as well.

Arthur had landed on his stomach. He was going to pick himself up when the fairy picked him up by the back of his shirt. Arthur struggled to get down, swinging his good arm widely and kicking as far as he could. The fairy laughed, victorious in catching its prey.

"That wasn't too hard-"

The fairy stopped when it heard Arthur…chanting? Perhaps saying some last minute prayers? The fairy shook its head at Arthur. It was foolish of Arthur to think he could have won. The fairy raised Arthur off the ground, the chanting continuing. It was only when the rocks glowed a bright fluorescent green that the fairy realized what Arthur had done.

"Y-you! What have you done?!" It cried. Chains emerged from the ocean, wrapping around the fairy's hind legs and dragging it back to the water. In his realization, the fairy had dropped Arthur to the ground. Arthur rubbed his arms and legs, trying to get the feeling back into them.

The fairy had tried to pull and tear on the chains with its bare hands but that only added to its aggravation. The chains glowed bright red, heating up and burning the fairy's flesh. The fairy screeched in agony, its cries echoing through the land.

Arthur had tried to scramble out of the circle and out of the fairy's reach. The fairy had turned its attention to Arthur now.

"No. If I am forced to go to whatever hell you're sending me to then I shall bring you with me. So that you can share in my agony," the fairy screeched bitterly, one hand stretched, transforming into one large claw. Arthur had not scrambled far enough. The claw had managed to grab a hold of him, sinking its talons deep into the flesh of his stomach.

Arthur wheezed, feeling blood come up his throat and out his mouth. He tried to reach out but he didn't have the strength to try to get himself out of the fairy's reach. He could feel the chains slowly drag the fairy back into its depths, him along with it. If the fairy didn't kill Arthur first, the ocean would.

Arthur closed his eyes, hoping that his pain would end soon.

* * *

Alfred parked his car in the parking lot, the radio turning off as he did so. He stepped out and shut the door behind him. He walked closer to the pier, scanning the beach as he did so. He searched for anything unusual and frowned when he saw nothing.

He rushed and hurried for nothing. Alfred frowned for a moment, scratching his head. He thought that maybe that strange tingling sensation in his stomach was a hero's sense of some sort. It could have been indigestion, he supposed.

Alfred was about to head back to his car when he saw something from the corner of his eye. Movement. He walked closer, to get a better look at them. He saw drag marks and then he saw something in the water.

His eyes widened in realization, Alfred ran towards the figure as fast as he could, hoping- praying that it wasn't what he thought it was.

* * *

Arthur felt the water reach his legs. The water felt cool and distracted Arthur from the burning sensation in his stomach. He could feel the struggle the fairy put against its bonds, fighting with every ounce of its strength to break free from the chains. Arthur would have sighed were it not for his growing difficulty to breathe. At least he had managed to accomplish his task…even if it was at the cost of his own life.

For a moment, Arthur thought that he was dreaming when he felt strong arms wrap around his chest, pulling him away from the fairy. It was at that instant that sound returned to Arthur's ear. He hadn't even realized that he had lost it. He could hear grunts of effort from his would-be-savior.

Arthur's eyes were clenched shut, afraid that if he were to open them, he would find another fairy wanting to get a piece of him. Arthur risked it and opened his eyes. He saw blue eyes, the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Blue as the sky on a clear day. He also saw fire in them and determination and strength. In those eyes, Arthur saw everything that he loved and hated about life. The stubbornness, the arrogance, the selfishness, the tenderness, the kindness, the… everything. Arthur felt at peace with himself and relaxed, knowing that he was safe in those arms.

Alfred gritted his teeth in effort, pulling Arthur towards him with all the strength he had. He would not let the creature have him. No. Arthur belonged to him. No one else.

The fairy redoubled its efforts and strained to keep its grip on Arthur. The chains were pulling on it, the force increasing in intensity. The fairy started to lose its grip and sunk its other claw into Arthur's thigh, nice and deep to ensure that Arthur would not elude him.

Arthur screamed in pain, the pain growing nearer to unbearable. He thrashed and kicked with his free foot. The fairy's grip loosened once more. Alfred saw this as his opportunity to pull Arthur free and pulled harder. The fairy's talons were stuck to Arthur's flesh and as the tug of war continued, the fairy dragged its talons down Arthur's body. As the fairy was dragged further and deeper into the ocean, its talons pulled on Arthur's flesh and sank deeper and further down his body.

It was almost a full minute of the tug of war between the two before the full effects of Arthur's spell took hold and the fairy was forced to relinquish its hold on Arthur before being dragged down a whirlpool and down into its depth. The whirlpool sucked the fairy down and then dissipated, leaving the water calm and smooth almost as if nothing had occurred.

Alfred fell back on his back, holding Arthur close to his chest. He panted, tired from the exertions. He laughed, happy that it was over. Arthur was safe.

His elation was cut short once he felt something seeping his clothes. Alfred sniffed the air and smelled blood. He looked down and saw blood pouring out of Arthur's wounds.

"A-arthur! You're hurt!" Arthur made no reply, his face pale. Alfred felt fear grip his stomach. He quickly searched through his pockets, trying to locate his phone. He dialed nine one one and held up the phone to his ear.

"Hello. Please state your emergency," the dispatcher said calmly.

"I-i…I'm at Coral beach in Little Flats and my f-friend is hurt, like bad. Please come as soon as possible," Alfred said, trying his best to speak as loudly and clearly as possible.

"What ha-"

"Don't ask me stupid questions! Just get here!" Alfred exclaimed and then promptly hung up. He tried to pull Arthur from the water. When he turned to look at Arthur, he saw how serious his injuries were. Arthur's stomach had been almost ripped open, exposing Arthur's innards to the outside. His legs were a mess. There was so much blood coming from his leg wounds that Alfred could not distinguish the extent of Arthur's injuries.

The more he stared at them, the more anxious Alfred became. He tried to get Arthur on his back, trying not to cause Arthur any further pain. Arthur had been quiet and unresponsive which worried Alfred. He was also far too pale and losing far too much blood for his liking. Perhaps he shouldn't have hung up on the dispatcher.

"Hey, Artie, how are we doing?" Alfred asked softly, trying to get a reply from Arthur. Arthur opened his eyes, clear and almost unseeing.

"Arthur?"

"Yes?" Arthur managed to croak weakly. Alfred sighed in relief, worried for a moment that Arthur wasn't there with him.

"Hey, just hold on, ok? The ambulance will be here soon," Alfred said, trying to soothe Arthur.

"I-I can't feel my legs," Arthur remarked dryly. Alfred tensed for a moment before trying to talk.

"I'm sure its fine, Arthur. You'll see," Alfred reassured him. Arthur tried to close his eyes but was shaken roughly by Alfred. Arthur turned to look at him and saw Alfred frowning at him.

"You can't go to sleep yet, Arthur, not until the ambulance comes, ok?"

"I'm not a child, Alfred," Arthur said softly, lacking his usual vigor. He was starting to get more tired by the minute. He wished that Alfred would let him rest.

Arthur didn't know how much time had passed. Alfred had fallen silent, murmuring words of encouragement to him. It was getting more difficult to breathe, Arthur noted. He said nothing to Alfred though, sensing Alfred's anxiety.

After what seemed like hours to the both of them, the ambulance arrived. The paramedics rushed to Arthur and carried him gently to the stretcher. Alfred followed close behind, refusing to be separated from Arthur.

At this point, Arthur was beginning to lose consciousness. He could no longer make out voices or sounds. Images were starting to blur. Time seemed to slow down. For a moment, Arthur lost sight of Alfred. He tried to search for himself but it became harder and harder to distinguish shapes. He relaxed when he felt fingers grasp his own tightly. Arthur tried to squeeze back but found that he couldn't.

Arthur opened his eyes one more time and looked around. He didn't need glasses to know that the shimmering blue orbs were Alfred's eyes. Arthur gazed into them one last time before closing his eyes.

And then his world went black.

* * *

* Yes, chalk rocks. Chalk is actually a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Modern blackboard chalk is actually made of gypsum though it originally was made of chalk rocks.

And yes, I completely fail. I was originally going to try to get Arthur to say the spell in Latin but I didn't find any English-Latin dictionaries online :( So I went with nothing.

By my lame description of Alfred's distress call, you guys can probably tell I've never dialed 9-1-1 in my life. Oh well.

Um cliffhanger anyone? Arthur's fate and any questions will be revealed in the next and FINAL chapter of this fanfiction.

As for the sequel, I still haven't come up with a plot per say so it's not a sure thing yet. ^^ If you guys have any ideas for it, I'd be glad to hear them.

And I was supposed to post this earlier but my beloved monthly visitor came. Oh the wonderful pain. Next chapter should be up in 1-2 weeks depending on how horrible I job I did and how busy I am with finals. No promises though.


	13. Ch 13 Of Endings and Happiness

Posted this when I'm supposed to be studying. XD Hope you guys enjoy the final chapter.

Ch 13 Of Endings and Happiness

For once, in the past few months, the town of Little Flats was liberated from its burden. The air was clean once more. The dark clouds dissipated into fluffy white ones. The birds returned to sing their usual songs and the people returned to their normal activities. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted and now everyone could see clearly. However, not everyone felt the same way.

Arthur had been rushed to the emergency room after being admitted to the hospital. He underwent surgery while Alfred wandered into the cafeteria, looking for something to eat. After grabbing a bite to eat, Alfred had waited and waited…and waited some more until finally a doctor had gone to look for him. He had informed Alfred that Arthur had lost a lot of blood. He had also suffered damage to his liver and kidney. The doctor had told Alfred that Arthur's liver had suffered too much damage and was incapable of regenerating. Arthur was put on a list, waiting for a liver. As for Arthur's legs, the doctors had done what they could but whether Arthur could walk had yet to be seen.

Alfred had asked to see Arthur and his request was granted. Arthur had all sorts of tubes attached to him. He still looked incredibly pale. Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand and squeezed it, hoping that Arthur would feel comforted by the action.

It had been a week after Arthur was first admitted into the hospital and there had been no change in his condition. Arthur had received the liver and necessary surgery but he had yet to wake up. Alfred had asked about why Arthur hadn't woken up yet but all he received was a vague answer.

And so, Alfred waited. He visited Arthur everyday, bringing a bouquet of flowers every time. Arthur's room was covered in flowers. Alfred had even gone to the trouble of asking Francis what Arthur's favorite flower was. Alfred usually wasn't so thoughtful but he felt that he needed to make things better for Arthur…if he ever woke up.

Alfred was surprised to find that Arthur's favorite flower was a red rose. It was very…romantic of him. It was certainly getting expensive buying Arthur all those flowers but Alfred didn't mind. He hoped that they would please Arthur.

Whenever school ended, Alfred would go straight to the hospital. Sometimes Francis, Matthew and Kiku would go with him. Alfred brought books and magazines with him. He had originally brought in some comic books but Matthew reminded him that Arthur wouldn't be able to see the pictures. Alfred sometimes read aloud to Arthur, hearing somewhere that people in comas could still hear what was going on around them.

This particular day, Alfred had brought a book of poems that Matthew had suggested. Matthew mentioned something about this author being one of Arthur's favorite poets. Alfred had skimmed the poems and didn't find them all that particularly interesting. Then again, Arthur was more of literature person than Alfred was.

Alfred placed the bouquet of red roses and placed them in a vase next to the other dozen bouquets that he had gotten. Alfred then pulled a chair and sat in it.

"Hey, Arthur. How've you been doing today?" No response.

"So guess what happened to me the other day. The nurse got the wrong idea when she saw all these flowers here. She thought- well maybe not the _wrong_ idea but not the right one, you know?" Alfred smiled through it all, having grown used to Arthur not responding to him.

"I brought a book today. Mattie recommended it. He said something about you liking this sort of thing." Alfred flipped through the book before finally settling on a random page and then cleared his throat.

"Ahem.

Hope is the thing with feathers

that perches on the soul,

and sings the tune -without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It never asked a crumb of me."

Alfred thought the poem suiting at the moment and closed the book. He felt thirsty and got up.

"I'll be back, Arthur. Just going to get something to eat, ok?" Silence once more. Alfred didn't mind. After all, he got to talk more and Alfred liked hearing himself talk.

Alfred whistled as he walked to the nearest vending machine. He got a mangled dollar bill and bought himself some chips and a soda. Alfred walked back to Arthur's room, cheerful, knowing that Arthur would wake up…soon. Alfred sat back down on the chair.

It took Alfred a moment to realize that Arthur was awake.

"Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"You're awake!" Alfred exclaimed, enveloping Arthur in a tight embrace.

"I can see that," Arthur said, sensing the other's happiness.

"What happened? How long have I been here? My injuries- are they serious?" That was when Alfred's smile faded. So it was serious.

"I think it's better if a doctor explained to you," Alfred said quietly. Arthur felt concerned now. Was there something wrong with him? Alfred stepped out and came back with one of the doctors.

"Hello Arthur. It's nice to see you again but not under these conditions. Now your friend here-"

"Alfred."

"-Alfred, has informed me what happened. An accident of some sort, am I correct?" Alfred nodded.

"Now, some of your internal organs were damaged during this accident. Your liver, unfortunately, was too damaged to heal on its own so you were put on the organ list. Once a liver became available, we were able to perform surgery. Now, we have done what we can for your legs. It is still unclear whether or not they are completely functional. The doctors and I, however, agree that with the proper physical rehabilitation you'll be able to walk again." Arthur listened attentively, trying his best not to let his own emotions show.

"For now, you are to rest and when your body has healed enough, we'll talk about physical rehabilitation." Arthur nodded.

"Will I be able to return to-"

"I'm afraid that your body has gone through tremendous stress and strain. You will not be able to return to school until you have completely recovered," the doctor finished.

"I see. Thank you, doctor," Arthur said softly. The doctor nodded and left the room. Arthur sighed, his fingers curling around the blankets.

"Arthur? Are you ok?" Alfred asked, concern etched on his face.

"I'm fine, Alfred, really," Arthur said softly and if Alfred heard correctly, almost listlessly.

"Hey, don't let it get you down, Iggy-"

"Don't call me that," Arthur said lowly, his hands clenching the blankets. Alfred placed his hand over Arthur's.

Alfred paused for a moment, trying to choose the right words to say. Arthur seemed to be in an irritable mood and Alfred did not want to set him off.

"I understand that you must feel frustrated but be patient, Arthur. And it's not like you're going to do this on your own, I'll be here. I'm sure Mattie, Kiku, Francis and Sechelles want to help you too," Alfred said softly, stroking Arthur's hand with his thumb. The motion seemed to soothe Arthur.

"Does Francis really have to come? You know that I hate that tosser." Alfred laughed and used his other hand to ruffle Arthur's hair.

"Good to have you back, Iggy."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Alfred, that I despise that name."

"Iggy."

"Oh sod off."

* * *

Arthur's body was recovering slowly but steadily. Alfred had paid Arthur a visit at least five times a week. When that got to be too much, Alfred visited on weekends, bringing the usual bouquet with him. Arthur had told Alfred that he didn't need flowers nor did he want them, having remembered the earlier incident Alfred caused that involved flowers. Alfred insisted and, frankly, Arthur was too tired to argue with him.

As Alfred predicted, Arthur received more visitors. Kiku was a frequent visitor, often telling Arthur strange stories in order to cheer him up. Even Elizabeta had come to visit him. She was shortly escorted out of the building on her first visit for having caused an "internal disturbance" and Arthur was glad for that. The woman was far too nosy and perverted for her own good. Who did she think she was, asking him all those strange questions?

Questions like 'Had he and Alfred started doing "it" yet?' Arthur had almost blown a gasket and was on the verge of throwing some expensive hospital equipment at her when Alfred and Matthew had restrained him.

Francis had been his usual perverted self. Francis had brought every single porn magazine and video known to man, saying that since Arthur had nothing better to do he might as well enjoy himself. Matthew has saved Arthur the trouble at hitting Francis.

One day, Sechelles came herself to visit Arthur. Alfred had encouraged her to visit Arthur, having forgotten his jealously. Sechelles had put off the visit for as long as possible until she felt that she was ready to face him. She had heard from the others that Arthur was recovering well but the details to the extent of his injuries were unknown to her and that scared her. She had seen Arthur hurt once and it upset her. Now that Arthur was in the hospital again, she felt the same fear once again. However, she wasn't going to let it beat her. If anything, Sechelles was a strong-willed, independent young woman and she wouldn't let something as silly as visiting Arthur get to her.

Sechelles had debated whether she should bring anything with her and settled with a book. Arthur liked to read, right? She wondered what compelled her to visit him let alone bring anything! She sighed and stopped. She supposed that it had finally happened, the moment she had been dreading ever since she met Arthur.

She _liked_ Arthur fucking Kirkland. Actually liked him. Sechelles wondered where her sanity had gone because she'd have to be crazy in order to like Arthur. He was a possessive, arrogant, irate, annoying, foul, ugly, controlling jerk. But he was a likeable and decent jerk and Sechelles supposed that was what really mattered in the end.

She had knocked on the door twice before entering.

"Hello Kirkland," she said anxiously. Arthur looked up from reading a magazine, a gentle but weary smile on his face.

"Hello Angelique, please sit. Make yourself comfortable. It certainly is n-nice to have you visit me," Arthur said softly.

"Troubles in Hospital Paradise?" She asked, her fingers stroking the book's spine absentmindedly.

"This is hardly paradise, Angelique. The food is horrid, the staff is slow and cynical, the sheets are rather uncomfortable and I'm in a whole load of pain so yes, I'd have to say that this is no paradise," he added, his voice lacking its usual vigor and exuberance. Sechelles had known that Arthur was rather thin but he seemed to have lost weight. He was paler than usual and there were bags under his eyes. He seemed weary and tired.

"If you say so. Um, here. I got this for you," Sechelles said, extending her arms toward Arthur and holding the book in her hands. Arthur looked a little surprised.

"For me?" Sechelles nodded.

"Thank you, Angelique. I will read it once I have finished this magazine." After that, the room was filled with an awkward silent tension. Sechelles stepped back and headed towards the door.

"Goodbye Arthur, I hope you'll feel better."

"Thank you, Angelique. That is rather kind of you to say."

Sechelles blushed for a moment before shouting out, "this doesn't change anything between us, you know? I still hate you!" With that said, Sechelles ran out, leaving Arthur rather confused. That woman was a complete mystery to him. Just when he had thought that they were getting along, she had to say something like that! Arthur shook his head, wondering if all women were this difficult.

* * *

Arthur had started physical therapy after the doctor had said that he had healed enough. The procedure was painful for Arthur. Every step was a complete agony but he was determined to walk. The doctor had stressed that he not strain himself but it was hard to. Arthur always put his all into everything he did and it was hard for him to restrain himself when it was in his nature to do otherwise.

It had been a long day and Arthur was about to start his physical therapy session for the day. He had asked for the sessions to be early in the morning so to avoid anyone from school watching him struggle. He had also kept the information a secret from everyone, not wanting to worry them any further. It also meant that he was alone in it. No one was on the sidelines cheering for him. It saddened him but he had chosen to have it this way. It was better this way. It wasn't like he wanted them to cheer for him anyways. He was a big boy and he could take care of himself.

This day he had been especially tired from the previous day's session. But he had to keep going. The physical therapist had insisted that he should keep going at it, not wanting the window to close for Arthur. Arthur had agreed but that didn't change how he tired he was.

Arthur had wheeled himself to the training room and waited for the trainer. After waiting for a few minutes, Arthur saw someone by the door. It was Alfred.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked, astounded. He had made sure not to tell anyone. How could Alfred have known?

"I played hooky today. I wanted to see you, figured that you'd miss me. So I came by your room and you weren't there. I asked one of the nurses and she told me you were here," Alfred had said nonchalantly, his smile as bright as ever.

His expression changed to a more serious one. "Arthur, why didn't you tell me? Me, of all people. I t-thought that you-"

"Oh, don't give me that face, Alfred. Stop it. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you or anyone else to know. I knew that you'd hover," Arthur said defensively. Really, that stupid bloody git always had to make it about himself.

"Oh, I see. Still, it would have been nice to know, Arthur. I lo- care for you. I want to be with you every step of the way," Alfred said kindly, his hands on Arthur's shoulders, trying to comfort him. Arthur scowled.

"I suppose that since you are already here-"

"Yay! Goody, Iggy."

"I told you to stop calling me that," Arthur reminded him. Alfred just nodded.

"So what are you waiting for?"

"The trainer. I'm waiting for him," Arthur said as the trainer walked in.

"How are you doing today, Arthur? And who's your friend?" Alfred frowned at the comment. He had hoped that he and Arthur were more than just friends.

"I'm fine, just a little groggy. And this is Alfred," Arthur said, motioning to Alfred.

The trainer and Alfred shook hands.

"So Arthur, are you ready?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"I want to help!" The trainer chuckled. "Very enthusiastic I see. Come here. Just put your arm there, under his arm," the trainer said, pointing to Arthur's arm.

"Now steady him while he tries to stand." The trainer nodded to Arthur. Arthur gripped Alfred's arm tightly before trying to straighten his legs. Standing up had been very difficult to do but now it was walking that was harder. Arthur tried to take a step forward, gritting his teeth in pain. The burning sensation in his legs returned. Arthur always tried to push through it but sometimes it was too intense.

Arthur panted and paused before taking another step. So far, Arthur had been able to walk (painfully) to the end of the room and back. He still didn't trust himself to walk on his own. After his usual walk, the trainer asked Arthur if he wanted to try to walk on his own. Arthur had originally shaken his head, signifying that he did not want to but Alfred had zealously encouraged the idea.

"Come on, Iggy. You won't walk sooner if you don't try." Arthur grudgingly agreed and let go of Alfred's arm. He tried to take his first step. He shook so much that Arthur thought that he was going topple over. After what seemed like a century and a half to Arthur, he had managed to steady himself to take another step. Alfred cheered loudly.

"You can do it, Arthur." With that encouragement in mind, Arthur tried to take another step but it was too much for one day. He fell on his knees. Alfred ran towards him.

"You ok?" Alfred asked. Arthur laughed.

"I did it," Arthur said, grinning widely. Alfred smiled in return, glad that Arthur was ok. The moment was wonderful for Arthur. He wondered why he hadn't told Alfred earlier.

------------------

Hours turned into days and days into weeks and finally Arthur was released from the hospital. Many things had changed since his stay at the hospital. For one, Little Flats had elected a new sheriff. Arthur had asked Kiku (not trusting Alfred or Francis to do it) to file a report on the sheriff's death. There had been a search for his body, along with the other missing people. No bodies had been found, including the sheriff's. The sheriff along with the others was declared missing until further evidence suggested otherwise. Arthur had made a note to himself to visit the new sheriff, with the intention of informing him of what he knew (downgrading the supernatural details of course).

As a result of his long hospital stay, Arthur had to resign his position of student council president and take a leave of absence. It had taken all of Arthur's will to do it. It was unfortunate but necessary. The Academy needed someone who was there, not some useless injured prat. It saddened Arthur a bit. He had put his all in trying to run the student council. It wouldn't be the same when he returned to school.

Arthur had taken a shuttle back to school, not wanting to burden anyone. He still had problems walking but the doctors had said it was fine if he left as long as he took it easy. Arthur had to use a cane to walk. It annoyed Arthur immensely, not having grown used to using it.

The shuttle ride had been long and tiresome for Arthur. He had felt more tired lately. The medication the doctor prescribed for him wasn't helping. He knew it was for his own good. He just felt…frustrated and impatient. He was tired of being injured, tired of being bedridden, tired of being tired, tired of being…helpless. He was tired of it all.

It took Arthur a good ten minutes to walk up to his room. His left leg constantly ached and the luggage he had to carry wasn't helping much. When he had finally reached his room, Arthur was exhausted, wanting to just lie in bed and sleep until he was no longer tired. He unlocked the door and walked in, lugging the luggage behind him.

The room hadn't changed much since he had lasted used it. The mess he had left was still there. Arthur contemplated whether he should clean it up or not but decided against it. He was too exhausted to do anything. He just let himself fall to his bed and wrapped whatever was there around himself. He snuggled closely into the blankets and let himself fall into a deep peaceful slumber.

Eight hours of sleep would have been nice but Arthur rarely received what he asked for. He woke up suddenly, sensing someone watching him. He sat upright, rubbing his eyes. Once he was fully alert, he looked around, trying to locate the source of his unease. He saw a blond with glasses staring straight at him. It took Arthur a minute to try to recall who it was.

Alfred.

"What are you doing? And stop looking at me like that! It's rather unsettling," Arthur complained. Alfred just smiled at him.

"I heard that you came back. I had to find out for myself," Alfred explained. Arthur wondered who had told him. He had made sure to be discreet. It seemed that no matter what he did, he could keep nothing from Alfred.

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "Well, I would greatly appreciate some sleep so if you can leave me be I'd greatly appreciate-"

"Come with me," Alfred said, extending his hand to Arthur. Arthur gave Alfred a quizzical look before gripping the hand. What harm could it do?

"Fine. Just tell me where we are going."

"Can't. It's a surprise," Alfred smirked. Why didn't that surprise him?

Arthur rolled his eyes, making a grab for his cane. He couldn't walk properly without the thing. Alfred eyed the cane a moment before dragging Arthur behind him. Arthur hoped this little trip was not going to be too tiring. He was rather low on energy at the moment.

"Is there going to be food? I am rather ravished, Alfred." Alfred continued walking, having seemingly ignored Arthur's statement.

"Did you hear me? Alfred? Alfred! Listen to me! I said-"

"I heard you," Alfred interrupted.

"Well, you could at least answer me, you git! Now I said that we were-"

"We're here," Alfred stated.

"We are?" Arthur asked puzzled. That was quick. They had not left the dorms. Alfred had led him to another student's room. Arthur almost fainted when he saw whose room it was.

"Ivan Braginski?! Alfred, why have you brought me here? You know that Ivan and I aren't in the best of terms! Alfred!" Arthur screeched.

"Hm? It was the only room big enough."

"Big enough? For what?" Arthur asked, cocking his head to the side.

"You'll see," Alfred said, smiling. That smile was starting to get on Arthur's nerves. Alfred's hand grabbed Arthur's and opened the door.

The inside of the room was less frighteningly than Arthur had thought. There were no torture devises in sight. The room had almost a cheerful atmosphere to it. The walls were decorated with banners and balloons. In the center of the room was a large sign with the words 'Welcome Bak Arhur' written on it. Arthur noticed the spelling mistakes but said nothing. He gaped at how many people were there.

"Do you like it? I wanted to celebrate your return from the hospital so I asked Ivan and Francis to help me plan something."

"Since when have you been friends with Ivan?" Arthur asked, distinctly remembering that Alfred and Ivan were not the best of friends to say the least.

"Oh, we sort of bonded a while ago," Alfred said vaguely. Alfred and Ivan had become friends during the time he and Arthur had fought. Ivan was not the bad guy everyone made him out to be. He could be creepy at times but that was the worst of it. Alfred felt best not to let Arthur know that he had befriended Ivan just to spite Arthur.

"I see…" Arthur trailed off. He smiled weakly. "This is very kind of you, Alfred. I'm surprised by how thoughtful you can be."  
"Hey, heroes can be thoughtful. And don't thank me. Thank everyone for making this party possible," Alfred said gesturing to the other people. Arthur blushed slightly at the thought that Alfred had done all of this for him.

Arthur almost cringed when he saw Elizabeta walking towards him. This could only mean trouble.

"Arthur! Finally! I've been waiting for the longest time! I've been wanting to ask you some questions," Elizabeta said rather cheerfully, pulling Arthur aside.

"I've heard that you and Alfred are a thing now. I've tried to ask Alfred for some details but he's avoiding me for some reason so I was wondering if I could maybe ask you some-"

"Now, Elizabeta, it is not kind to hassle an injured man like that, da?" Ivan interrupted, giving Elizabeta one of his "kind" smiles. Elizabeta almost cringed in response but was determined to get answers.

"Ivan, it is not polite to interrupt young ladie-"

"Lady? You're no lady, Eliza. You're more man than woman if you ask me," Gilbert said cockily. Arthur had wondered when Gilbert had approached them, having not heard him walking over to them. He was starting to get flustered from all the attention he was receiving.

"Hey guys, calm down. Arthur's getting old. He can't take so much excitement in one day," Alfred teased, giving Arthur one of his more devious smirks. Arthur huffed.

"I am not old, Alfred. I'm only a year older than you. That hardly qualifies me as old-"

"Ah, le Briton has returned from his luxurious hospital stay. I hope that you are well rested, mon petit," Francis interjected in his usual extravagant way.

"Francis is here?" Arthur asked exasperated.

"Of course he is! I couldn't plan the party without him!" Alfred exclaimed.

"Oui oui. It is true. Alfred is rather dunce when it comes to _sensitive_ matters like these. I simply had to help him out."

"Don't worry, Arthur. I helped too. Someone had to keep Francis in line," Matthew said softly. "Hello Arthur. I hope you are feeling better now."

"So kind of you to say, Matthe-"

"Why does everyone pick on big brother Francis?"

"Belt up, frog! I was speaking to Matthew. Now, as I was saying before I was_ rudely interrupted_, it was very kind of you to say that, Matthew. I am feeling rather better."

Arthur had mingled with some more people before he found a place to sit down. The little energy he had was now depleted. He wanted to go to sleep once more but it had been a few hours since Alfred had brought him to the party. He knew that Alfred would want him to stay longer.

He headed towards the door when a hand grasped his arm.

"You're leaving already?" Arthur didn't need to turn around to know that it was Alfred.

"Yes, I'm getting tired. I would try to get some sleep in before heading back to class tomorrow," Arthur replied.

"You're going back? So soon?"

"Yes, I have missed far too much in my hospital stay. It's going to take a while before I am caught up," Arthur explained.

"Oh ok." Arthur could sense the disappointment in Alfred's voice. "I'm just going to sleep, Alfred. We'll see each other soon enough!" Really, that boy was too much.

"I didn't say anything!"

"Well, I could sense it."

"With your old-man-wisdom?"

"Not old!"

"You sure act like it," Alfred retorted, the smirk returning to his face. Arthur almost smiled at the sight of it. This was better. Alfred was not Alfred if he was not being annoying.

"Good night, Alfred," Arthur said roughly.

"Night, Igs," Alfred teased. Arthur rolled his eyes at the horrendous nickname and closed the door behind him.

* * *

One could say that things had returned to normal…almost.

Two weeks after Arthur's return to school, a local boy had found some deteriorating remains of a human corpse near some rocks by the pier. The boy had reported his findings and a forensic team from the city had been dispatched to investigate the cause of death and identify the remains. They had given their results to the police who had made a public announcement about them. The remains were identified as the former sheriff's and a public funeral had been arranged. The whole town, including Academy students, was invited. Arthur himself had been personally invited to attend by the Major and the city council.

Principal Rome had also made a public announcement about it. He encouraged students to attend and had decided to let the students take the day off for the occasion. Principal Rome had personally made sure that Arthur would attend, knowing what the town expected of him. Arthur was hailed as a sort of local hero of sorts even if he had not solved (not to their knowledge anyway) the mystery. No explanation was given to the townsfolk. As far as anyone knew, the murderer could have still been out there somewhere, waiting for his next victim. Arthur had not offered anyone an explanation as to what happened. He found no way to explain the whole thing without sounding crazy. His explanation to the new sheriff had been vague and unclear. Arthur felt that was the best he could do without making himself seem insane. Arthur had not even offered an explanation to Alfred, who had seen some of the final events. They had not discussed the subject once.

The morning of the funeral, Arthur had woken up early, ensuring that he would have plenty of time to dress accordingly. He had put on a black suit with a dark red tie. He hoped it didn't look…too colorful. He didn't want to insult anyone. The attention he was receiving from the townsfolk was almost…overwhelming. He felt like he was being smothered.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on the door. The door opened, revealing a ready Alfred.

"Hi Arthur. You ready?" Alfred asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be I suppose," Arthur replied weakly.

Alfred sensed Arthur's tone. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that…they smother me."

"Nah, they just like you, Arty. Nothing to be nervous about, right?" Alfred said, having closed the gap between them and massaging Arthur's stiff shoulders.

"Ready?" Alfred whispered softly in Arthur's ear. The action almost made Arthur shudder.

"Uh y-yes," Arthur said quickly, walking out of Alfred's reach for his cane. He didn't need it anymore but he felt more secure with it on his person.

Arthur was carpooling with Alfred along with Francis, Matthew and Sechelles. It annoyed Arthur how much Sechelles had mooched her way into his life. But nothing could be done about it. Arthur had ridden up front with Alfred. He had originally wanted to sit in the back but Francis had insisted on sitting next to Matthew. Sechelles had taken the last spot in the back, forcing Arthur to sit up front.

The ride to the funeral procession had been a quiet one. Even Alfred had refrained from making his usual annoying commentary. They all sensed the solemn atmosphere that one usually felt at funerals. Not one of them had known the sheriff well and only Arthur had spoken to him. They still respected the man nonetheless. He had given his life to protect Little Flats and that much deserved their respect.

The funeral itself had been long and sober. Various people had given speeches about the sheriff's good deeds. Arthur had been asked beforehand to give a speech. Arthur had declined, having felt that he hadn't known the sheriff well enough to give a whole speech on him.

The casket and the whole funeral process had been paid by the town as a way of showing their gratitude to their former sheriff. Various flowers had covered the casket along with little trinkets that his family had brought. Arthur himself had brought a bouquet of pink carnations, daffodils and dark crimson roses*. He had thought the man deserved more than just black roses on his funeral.

One thing had caught Arthur's eye during the funeral. It was a woman, dressed in a long crape black dress with long sleeves and a black bonnet with a long veil covering her face. The woman struck Arthur as odd. There was something about her that seemed almost off. She was certainly different. She was a short woman, only five feet or so. She had long dark hair that reached her waist. In her gloved hands, she carried a small bouquet of bird's foot trefoil, heliotrope and eglantine rose*. Arthur had stared at the woman a bit longer before she turned to look at him. Arthur quickly turned away, ashamed of staring.

As they were lowering the casket into the ground, Arthur could hear the various sniffs and sobbing of various people. Arthur thought it was a shame that the town lost such a capable man such as the sheriff. He hoped the new sheriff would be able to live up to his expectations.

Arthur turned to look for the strange veiled woman but had found that she had disappeared. He shrugged the incident away. It was just another strange detail to add to the many that had occurred since the day of the murder.

The funeral ended with a sermon by the local parish priest. The priest had been a good friend of the sheriffs. It seemed right that he would be the one to speak of the sheriff.

The sermon commemorated all the sheriff's many accomplishments and all he had done for Little Flats. Arthur was surprised by the sheriff's many great deeds and heroics. It truly was a shame that such a great man died.

And before Arthur knew, it was over. The casket had been lowered and people were murmuring to one another, talking amongst themselves. Arthur stared at the casket, wondering how different life would be if he was the one in the casket. Not very different he decided.

Arthur stayed long after everyone had left. Arthur was deep in thought when something tugged at Arthur's arm. Arthur turned around to see Alfred motioning for him to follow him. Arthur frowned and shook his head. Alfred tugged on Arthur's arm fiercely until Arthur relented. Alfred led him away from the casket and into another part of the cemetery and stopped at a small tombstone.

"Well, this better be good, Alfred -"

"Listen to me," Alfred said sternly, gripping Arthur's arms and looking deeply into his eyes. Arthur couldn't help but stare back at the baby blue depths. And how beautiful those blue eyes were. Arthur could stare at them for forever.

"I like you, Arthur. Like _really_ like you and I thought that m-maybe you might like me back. I mean, you did kiss me back and I thought…well, I just want an answer. Do you like me, Arthur? The way that I like you?" Alfred asked softly, longing in those blue eyes. Arthur sighed, cupping Alfred's face in his hands.

"I-i…" It was certainly harder to say aloud than Arthur had originally thought. He composed himself and decided to give it another go.

"I'm afraid," he said softly. Alfred's eyes widened. Alfred let his arms fall to his side.

"Is something wrong? Is the creature coming back?" Alfred asked, concern etched into his face.

"No, it's not coming back. I made sure of that. I was afraid. I didn't want to get hurt. I thought that maybe I was just another toy to you. Just someone to play with until you're bored. And I don't want that. I w-want…" Arthur couldn't even finish, his eyes tearing up and his voice cracking. Alfred took Arthur's hands in his own and gripped them tightly.

"It's not like that, Arthur! I really like you, like a lot! I want to spend all my time with you. I want to kiss you whenever I want. The only thing I ever think about is you. I'm serious, Arthur. How am I supposed to prove it to you?" Alfred asked softly, his voice conveying his desperation. Arthur let the tears run down his cheeks and sniffed. Alfred absentmindedly wiped the tears away with his fingers, placing a warm hand to Arthur's cheek.

Then Arthur did something he never thought that he would do, not in a million years. He stood on the tips of his toes, wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck and kissed him. Alfred blinked in surprise, not expecting Arthur to make the first move.

Alfred pulled away and smiled. He laughed, his laughter echoing through the cemetery. Arthur smiled gently, enjoying the sound of Alfred's laughter. No one could laugh quite like Alfred could. His laughter was merry and cheerful. Arthur could feel himself smiling in response. He couldn't stop grinning like some love-struck idiot. Alfred grinned widely, his blue eyes shimmered with joy. Arthur couldn't help but sigh. Alfred was simply too beautiful when he smiled. Alfred could stop time with that smile of his.

"I like you too, Alfred. I just couldn't admit it. That sort of thing…well, it's hard for me to admit that sort of thing," Arthur confessed. Alfred just chuckled.

"Well, you wouldn't be you if you blurted stuff like that aloud," Alfred teased, pressing his forehead against Arthur's.

"Arthur?"

"Yes, Alfred?"

"I like it when you smile. You have a nice smile." Arthur could feel himself grow red at the compliment.

"Well, I will try to do it more often," Arthur said. Alfred smiled and leaned down to kiss Arthur. Arthur leaned in and kissed Alfred back, closing his eyes as he did so. Alfred's lips were softer than he had remembered and tasted sweet. Not at all of hamburgers or soda like Arthur expected. Arthur felt Alfred wrap one arm around his waist and felt a hand running through his hair. It had taken all morning to fix his hair but Arthur supposed it was worth the trouble. It wasn't everyday that he got to kiss Alfred F. Jones.

Arthur had wanted to pull away for air but didn't want to stop the kiss. When the demand for air got to be too much, he pulled away reluctantly.

"Hey, Arthur?"

"Hmm?"

"Want to go steady with me?" Alfred asked softly, pressing soft kisses on Arthur's face.

Arthur chuckled in response. "I would be glad to go steady with you, Alfred Jones." Alfred had almost cheered with joy but stopped himself. He felt silly if he did something like that in front of Arthur. Heroes were cool. They didn't do stuff like that in public. Especially in front of their damsel-in-distress. Arthur would always be his damsel-in-distress.

They had started to make out again when they were interrupted by a soft cough.

"Um, are you almost finished, eh?"

"Mattie!" Alfred yelled out. Alfred supposed that the natural response would be to be embarrassed but he felt no shame. He liked Arthur and there was nothing wrong with kissing him in public. Arthur, on the other hand, was horrified. Someone had seen them kiss.

"M-matthew! Did you see…"

"See what?" Arthur almost sighed in relief. He would have never been able to look at Matthew in the eye again if he saw them kissing.

"Oh, um, Ludwig told me to come and get you. Something about being Francis being completely inappropriate and needing to be stopped," Matthew explained, clutching the white bear to his chest.

"I did it, Mattie! I asked Arthur out! And he said yes!" Alfred exclaimed happily, like a child at Christmas. Arthur blushed deeply. He could have at least waited until he was gone.

"I'm glad. For both of you. It's nice to see that you're finally together, eh," Matthew said as he started to walk away.

"What do you mean finally? Matthew, explain yourself," Arthur called out to Matthew. Alfred gripped his shoulder and shook his head. "Come, Iggy. We got to go back," he said, taking one of Arthur's hands in his own.

"Iggy? Really Alfred, when are you going to listen to anything I tell you?" Arthur said almost irritably. Alfred just laughed, happy to have Arthur as his own.

The two walked back to the parking, where their peers were waiting for them. Arthur thought it almost strange to feel at peace at the of a funeral but couldn't help but be happy. Alfred would not be Alfred if his timing wasn't horrible like it usually was. Arthur needed to teach him a few things now that they were officially a couple. Arthur could see Elizabeta grinning and almost leaping with joy at the sight of them holding hands. Francis had given them a lecherous grin upon seeing their intertwined fingers. Ivan had given Arthur a gentle smile, one that Arthur could not determine whether it was a threat or not.

Arthur felt almost bubbly with Alfred next to him. It was strange for him to be with someone. He had always imagined that he would end up alone. He was grateful for what he had and he hoped that he would get to keep it this time.

As they walked toward the car, Arthur saw two lights flying overheard the clear blue sky. Arthur smiled at the sight. The fairies had returned to him at last, after years of waiting. A hand squeezed Arthur's own, causing Arthur to look at Alfred. Alfred smiled gently at him, and Arthur smiled back. Because for once in his life, everything was perfect. Finally, in his world, flowers were blooming, skies were the beautiful baby blue of Alfred's eyes, birds chirped, crickets sang, and fairies flew in the air once more.

* * *

*In the language of flowers, pink carnations mean 'I'll never forget you', daffodils mean respect and dark crimson roses mean mourning. Black roses mean death.

-Bird's foot trefoil means revenge, heliotrope means devotion and eglantine rose means a wound to heal

As for what type of fairy the dark fairy is, Arthur himself doesn't ever really find out. I did base it off a 'real' type of fairy named Nuckelavees. If you want to find more about I suggest googling it since it would probably take me a whole page to talk about it.

Sequel: I'm been thinking a lot and I really want to write a sequel so….I haven't started yet due to my many homework assignments and essays (I finally finished!) but now I have to study for my finals. But I promise that I will write as soon as possible! :D So be on the lookout. Its titled 'Of Phantoms and Poltergeists' and I'm planning on the first chapter to be up in two weeks.

I know that I didn't explain everything but if you guys still have questions, feel free to ask me via PM or comment and I'll be sure to reply. :D And no asking about the veiled lady! She's not important…yet!


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